The question surrounding whether Kirk Cousins will return to the Atlanta Falcons has quickly become one of the loudest storylines this offseason. The veteran quarterback adjusted his contract weeks ago, and many around the league expect a release or trade. However, Falcons president of football Matt Ryan has now stepped in to clarify where things stand.

“It’s one of the first things we’re going to talk about when I get back to Atlanta next week,” Ryan said while speaking about Cousins’ future. “Right now Kevin and his staff and Ian and his group are doing an evaluation of our current roster, where we’re at, UFAs, RFAs, all of those things as we move forward, and the decisions that are going to have to be made in, I guess it’s a month now, basically, four weeks away; we’ll all be a part of that.”

For the Falcons, this comes after Cousins’ situation unraveled following his four-year, $180 million deal, especially after Penix arrived and later took over the starting job.

Initially, heading into the 2025 season, Atlanta committed to Penix as the starter. However, that approach shifted once the young quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury. As a result, Cousins reclaimed the offense for the final seven games, throwing 10 touchdowns against five interceptions. Even then, he made it clear he wanted to keep playing and did not shut the door on staying.

Soon after, the Falcons reworked his contract, and the writing became clearer that maybe the Falcons will release Cousins before March 13, when a $67.9 million guarantee for 2027 would lock in. Additionally, his 2026 base salary dropped sharply from $35 million to $2.1 million, a tough turn for the veteran.

So now, all eyes are on the Falcons’ front office and Ryan as the final call approaches.

“We know what’s on the table, and we know what’s coming up in the next three or four weeks, and we’ll take our time and make the decisions at the appropriate time,” Ryan added.

However, amid all this chatter, one thing is clear that Kirk Cousins is not ready to hang up his cleats.

Kirk Cousins is not considering retirement

While the conversation around Kirk Cousins has only grown louder, the quarterback has already shut down retirement talks.

“I was thinking about it when I was in year three, four, five, like how long is this going to go,” he said while reflecting on his career while speaking with NBC. “Certainly, now coming up on year 15, you feel really blessed to even be in this position because it’s probably longer than you ever thought possible.”

“But yeah, I would love to keep going, and they got to want you, and you got to have an opportunity. But I feel good, kind of rejuvenated, having played at the end of last season. I feel like I’m in a good spot, enjoying the game, enjoying being with my teammates… would love to build on that and see where it can go from there.”

Because of that mindset, there remains a scenario where Cousins stays in Atlanta. If the Falcons choose to revisit his contract and spread the dead money into 2026 and 2027, it could ease the cap hit and keep him in the building. That path would give the front office flexibility while giving Cousins stability.

In the 2025 season, he had a passer rating of 84.8 with 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions in 10 games. So he can be helpful for lots of teams, including the Falcons. However, Cousins understands nothing is guaranteed.

“I’ll keep an open mind, kinda be ready for whatever may happen,” Cousins said when discussing the months ahead. “I still think it’s really early. When we get to March, we’ll know more. Have some substantive conversations and see where it goes.”

So, Cousins knows a return to Atlanta is far from certain. But what remains unchanged is his desire to keep playing football, wherever the opportunity shows up next.