Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins drops back in the pocket as the offense operates against Arizona, surveying coverage during a late-season road test. The December 21, 2025 matchup at State Farm Stadium carried postseason implications, placing pressure on protection, timing, and decision-making as Cousins guided Atlanta through a competitive NFC contest. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanksi this week, and because of his ties to Kirk Cousins from the Minnesota Vikings days, Cousins could be back in Atlanta after all. But what if he bolts? Consider the following seven destinations as the seven most likely Cousins employers in 2026.
Cousins could be on the move again, and the market will hinge on who misses at quarterback, who wants a bridge, and who wants an “old” quarterback.
Atlanta recently restructured Cousins’ contract, but that was before Stefanski’s arrival. Stay tuned to see if another contractual restructure is on the way.
Where Kirk Cousins Could Realistically Play in 2026
Cousins could be on the move, and these are the seven most likely destinations where he could play in 2026.
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn addresses reporters during a minicamp media session at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, pausing to answer questions on Jun. 10, 2025, in East Rutherford. The scene reflected early offseason tone-setting as Glenn outlined expectations, messaging, and structure while the Jets moved through organized team activities outside practice. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
7. New York Jets
Included only because the Jets have no startable quarterback beyond Justin Fields in 2026, Cousins could end up in New York as a patchover passer to a rookie like Ty Simpson, for example.
Adding Cousins would likely make Jets fans groan, but it was added to the list just in case. New York probably isn’t the market for a soon-to-be 38-year-old quarterback solution as the sole fix.
6. Cleveland Browns
If the Falcons release Cousins in March, they’ll be on the hook for all of his salary, meaning he could sign for cheap elsewhere, not unlike Russell Wilson when he left Denver. The Browns are navigating quarterback cap hell, as Deshaun Watson’s cap number in 2026 is a staggering $131 million. Not a typo.
Cleveland could sign Cousins for pennies, featuring him in a quarterback room with Shedeur Sanders and Watson to help wind down the absolutely dreadful Watson era.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy this weekend, a signal that Aaron Rodgers will likely ride again, given the McCarthy-Rodgers connection from the Green Bay days.
But what if Rodgers retires?
The upcoming draft doesn’t have much quarterback talent, so it’s not like Pittsburgh can just draft a passer, unless they have a mid-rounder like Penn State’s Drew Allar in mind.
Add Cousins for a year and wait until 2027 to draft a quarterback.
4. Arizona Cardinals
Nobody is too sure if Kyler Murray will return to the desert. If he does not, the Cardinals would be faced with rolling with Jacoby Brissett, drafting Ty Simpson, or exploring the Malik Willis sweepstakes.
Cousins for cheap would make sense, as Arizona bides its time to formulate a quarterback plan for life after Murray, who has not won a postseason game with the Cardinals in seven seasons.
Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox wrote about Cousins to Arizona last month, “While Brissett has been a fine placeholder, he hasn’t delivered wins. If the Cardinals don’t believe they can land a quarterback in the draft — they currently hold the fifth overall selection — Cousins would make sense.”
“Cardinals offense coordinator Drew Petzing worked with Cousins for two seasons, as the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant QB coach in 2018 and the Vikings’ wide receivers coach in 2019. Partnering Cousins with Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride and Michael Wilson in Petzing’s offense could give the Cardinals a much-needed boost.”
3. San Francisco 49ers
Imagine this: 49ers boss John Lynch trades Mac Jones to a team on this for a deal centered around a 1st- or 2nd-Round pick, continues to showcase Brock Purdy at QB1, and signs Cousins for one million bucks.
Vikings fans know the Cousins-to-San Francisco rumor mill has had oxygen for about six years. Why not make good those rumors at long last and have Cousins as the 49ers’ QB2 in 2026? It could work.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins walks off the field following the second half at Bank of America Stadium, captured after the final whistle on Oct. 1, 2023, in Charlotte. The moment showed a reflective pause as Cousins processed the road result, a familiar postgame scene during his tenure leading Minnesota’s offense through multiple seasons there overall. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
In Cousins’s younger days, Shanahan was never shy about flinging praise in his direction.
2. Minnesota Vikings
Perhaps the Vikings really, really trust J.J. McCarthy for the long haul but are still a little spooked about his sudden injury trend. Signing Cousins to a very affordable deal — has anyone ever typed that phrase? — checks out because he knows Minnesota’s offense and probably wouldn’t squawk too much about residing on the depth chart as the QB2
Fans would be split on this roster addition. After all, Cousins was never universally loved in the Twin Cities. This time, though, a teensy contract might change his reputation.
1. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta restructured Cousins’ deal, mentioned above, to make it easier to cut him in March. Then, it hired Stefanski, who has ties to Cousins.
With no clear timetable for Penix Jr.’s ACL recovery, the Falcons will probably realize they have a Cousins whisperer as their head coach, rework Cousins’ deal one more time, and let it rip in September. If Atlanta releases Cousins, they will turn around and look for a quarterback with Cousins’ talents.
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins goes through his warmup routine at U.S. Bank Stadium, loosening his arm before kickoff on Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. The pregame sequence underscored the unusual sight of Cousins returning as a visitor, preparing opposite his former team ahead of a marquee matchup during the regular season window there nationally televised. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Some still think Cousins could be cut. Blogging Dirty‘s Jason Candel opined this week, “If we’re talking about Falcons players who the new regime needs to move on from, that list starts and ends with Kirk Cousins, which all comes down to finances. The 37-year-old makes way too much money to be a backup, which is why they restructured his contract to make for a cleaner break.”
“The reworked deal gave the Dirty Birds virtually no reason to keep the four-time Pro Bowler now, so even though Stefanski coached Cousins in Minnesota, they could find a more cost-effective backup to Michael Penix Jr. in free agency, which will fix their financial situation once and for all.”
The Stefanski hire might’ve changed everything for Cousins in 2026. Stay tuned.
