Veteran franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins could get his Christmas wishlist early in a potential release before free agency in March. According to multiple sources, the Atlanta Falcons may release the four-time Pro Bowler in a move that saves the team money as much possible since signing him originally to a four-year, 180 million dollar deal. Cousins’ stint might’ve been over than some were anticipating, the Falcons made a surprising move to draft Michael Penix Jr. this past NFL Draft which raised plenty of question marks. Cousins was naturally going to be the main gunslinger but putting up a season-high of 16 interceptions in one year wasn’t going to cut it for the Falcons.
After naming Penix as the starter moving forward, Cousins decided to step away from football to think about his step in his career. Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the veteran spent the first three seasons with the Washington Commanders replacing Robert Griffin III in 2015 and leading the team to a divisional title. However, Cousins found himself earning a high-paid contract with the Minnesota Vikings before signing with the Falcons in 2024. The Pro Bowler is aging and he may want to join a contender before he retires but it might make sense to build with a roster for three years before eventually taking that team to a Super Bowl.
Two teams could be capable of constructing themselves as a contender for at least two years before becoming legitimate contenders. The Panthers, Saints have those chances but a team like the 49ers might snag him in if he’s not willing to wait.
Veteran Franchise Leader Kirk Cousins Could Get Release Wishlist – Panthers, 49ers, Saints Likely Next Teams
Old Friends Reunion
Chances are, the San Francisco 49ers could bring in Kirk Cousins no matter what they do with Brock Purdy. They want to extend him first before anything but the 49ers want to win a championship sooner rather than later. San Francisco is not in the best position to win it all this season since losing Brandon Aiyuk to a gruesome season-ending injury. This might make the team think twice about extending Brock Purdy, especially since he hasn’t been playing up to the standards that Kyle Shanahan is looking for.
The 49ers have one of the biggest cap problems this upcoming offseason and someone like wide receiver Deebo Samuel might not want to wait any longer for an extension. However, if anyone could give Shanahan hope for next season, it’s Kirk Cousins coming in for an opportunity to earn the starting snaps. Shanahan loves Cousins, he might want him to spend a season as a backup to give Purdy one more shot under a potential franchise tag. This might make sense considering the history of the two playing under the same system back in 2012.
Rebuilding in Carolina
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers are heading into another rebuild mode after sustaining two back-to-back atrocious seasons. After losing Diontae Johnson and benching Bryce Young for a few games, the team is not in the driver’s seat of being a contender anytime soon. Cousins could give this team some temporary life for a strong run as long as head coach Dave Canales could get the right pieces for him.
Derek Carr Leaving?
Derek Carr will enter the 2025 season with one more year on his contract but the team might have other plans. After losing Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to season-ending injuries, the Saints might be forced to rebuild as well despite denial of that happening. The Saints want to win now and since they’ve been able to establish Marquez Valdes-Scantling, they could do the same with Kirk Cousins under center throwing darts to deliver a Super Bowl in the future.
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