2026 NFL Offseason Buzz, Rumors: Falcons Reportedly Plan to Release Kirk Cousins

The NFL offseason hasn’t officially arrived yet, but 30 teams are already looking ahead to 2026. As teams continue to fill out their coaching staffs, some teams are already making plans on what to do with their rosters ahead of the start of the new league year in March. Who’ll get cut? Who’ll get traded? Who’ll get extended? Who’ll get the franchise tag? Here’s the latest look at some of the most notable rumors around the NFL. Falcons reportedly plan to release Kirk Cousins, but could bring him back Kirk Cousins’ time in Atlanta seems to be nearing its end. The Atlanta Falcons are planning to cut the veteran quarterback, The Athletic reported. But the Falcons would be interested in re-signing Cousins on a cheaper contract, The Athletic added in its report. Cousins, 37, signed a four-year, $180 million deal to join the Falcons in the 2024 offseason, just months after he tore his Achilles. His tenure in Atlanta began with some promise before getting benched late in the 2024 season for Michael Penix Jr., who the Falcons selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft. Penix was the Falcons’ starting quarterback to open the 2025 season. However, Cousins wound up starting eight games as Penix suffered a season-ending ACL tear in November. Cousins put up a respectable statline in 2025, completing 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions with an 84.8 passer rating. The Falcons went 5-3 in Cousins’ eight starts as well. But that wasn’t good enough for Cousins to guarantee his spot in the Falcons’ new regime, with Matt Ryan running football operations and Kevin Stefanski entering his first season as Atlanta’s head coach.