In two months, Kirk Cousins will be waving goodbye to Atlanta.
His contract modification was part of a quid pro quo aimed at ensuring his release early in the free-agency period. It will happen with a post-June 1 designation, splitting the $35 million in dead cap money over two years.
The movement of the bulk of Cousins’s 2026 salary to 2027 gives the team a lower cap number to carry until the release officially hits the financial books on June 2. The $67.9 million guarantee that vests on March 13 ensures that they’ll release him between the start of the league year on March 11 and the close of business on March 12.
For Cousins, agreeing to the deal prevented the Falcons from paying his $10 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year in March (which is already guaranteed) and squatting on his rights through August, since his $35 million salary for 2026 isn’t guaranteed.
Of course, if the bonus were paid, the Falcons wouldn’t have been entitled to an offset. As it stands, the first $10 million Cousins makes for 2026 will be credited to the Falcons. (And he’ll definitely be in line for much more than $10 million.)
It’s always better to get to the market sooner, and Cousins will be there by the second day of the league year. More importantly, every team now knows that he’ll definitely be available, which means he’ll be a significant factor in the looming quarterback carousel that will spin after the coaching carousel comes to a stop.
Bottom line? The guy who has made more than $321 million in his career will be making more.
