What happened to Kirk Cousins? Why veteran QB is stuck behind Michael Penix Jr. on Falcons depth chart

In September 2024, Kirk Cousins was firmly in one of the NFL's best quarterback situations.

Sure, he was coming off a torn Achilles that meant he had to prove himself, and there was a high-profile rookie quarterback behind him on the depth chart, but there was still a lot to like about the veteran. The prior offseason, he had signed a lucrative deal to join the Atlanta Falcons, leaving the Minnesota Vikings behind. He joined a squad with some premiere offensive weapons like Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts, and Atlanta had real playoff hopes.

Even nine games into his Falcons career, Cousins was riding relatively high. Atlanta was 6-3 in those games, including a thrilling comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, and Cousins had thrown 17 touchdown passes, including four in one game with 509 passing yards in a Week 5 win.

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Flash forward just one season though, and Cousins can now be seen sitting on the Falcons sideline as the backup to Michael Penix Jr., with injuries having nothing to do with it. What happened to Cousins? Why are the Falcons paying him so much money to be a backup?

Here's what to know about Cousins' current situation in Atlanta behind Penix on the depth chart.

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Why isn't Kirk Cousins starting for the Falcons?

Put simply, Cousins' brutal second half of the 2024 season has put the future of his career up in the air. Typically, it would be understood that quarterbacks can go through rough stretches, but Cousins' 2024 numbers from Week 10 on gave the Falcons little t nothing positive to take away.

Starting in Week 10, the Falcons lost four consecutive games behind Cousins, who did not throw a single touchdown pass in those matchups while totaling eight interceptions. By the time those four games had passed, the team had fallen out of playoff contention, instead hanging around .500. Although Cousins led the team's Week 15 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Raheem Morris decided it was time for a change.

Kirk Cousins throws his fourth interception of the day, this one to Derwin James. The Falcons are going to lose at home and fall to .500.pic.twitter.com/tTz1eH8gOk https://t.co/BSUKSjmrT5

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 1, 2024

VIKINGS PICK OFF KIRK COUSINS LATE IN THE 4TH pic.twitter.com/Ke0R4rIwOd

— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) December 8, 2024

In Week 16 last year, Atlanta sent out rookie Michael Penix Jr. to start for the rest of the season; the Falcons missed the playoffs after consecutive overtime losses in Week 17 and 18, but Penix did flash some talent. Ever since then, they've kept Penix as their starter.

Really though, the drama between Penix and Cousins has been brewing since the start of the 2024 offseason. First, the Falcons signed Cousins in free agency on a massive contract, indicating he had the keys to the franchise for years to come as a solidified starter. But just over a month later, Atlanta turned some heads by then proceeding to draft Penix at No. 8 overall in the draft.

The Falcons, who signed Kirk Cousins in the offseason, draft Michael Penix Jr.

Before the pick, Ian Rapoport said that the Falcons were considering it. "It's all about succession at the most important position." pic.twitter.com/aSQlTrR9sp

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2024

According to The Athletic, Cousins’ camp was told prior to the draft that the Falcons would not be taking a quarterback in the first round before they then took Penix. Cousins was reportedly “shocked” by the move.

Even with Penix in the fold, the Falcons insisted that Cousins was the starter. That was the case for most of the 2024 season. But as Cousins gave the team more and more reasons to bench him, they reached a breaking point and made the move to their younger option.

Despite not playing for the final few weeks of the 2024 season, Cousins was tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 16. His turnover issues grew too prominent to ignore, even if the team was rushing Penix a bit.

Now, the lingering issue for the Cousins-Falcons situation is that he's still making a boatload of money, making it difficult for the team to part ways with him. Cousins surely wants to be starting for an NFL team, but unless the Falcons can find a trade suitor who could manage a big contract, a divorce between Atlanta and the veteran quarterback likely won't happen.

“Obviously, I would love to play, but I’m not going to dwell on things that aren’t reality,” Cousins said when he reported for offseason workouts, per The Athletic. “That’s not the situation I am in, so it’s better to be focused on the situation I’m in and control what you can control. Certainly, there were conversations in January, February, March, even April, but we’re moving forward now.”

Cousins hasn't gotten a chance to lead the team since December 2024 though, so perhaps the Falcons turn back to him at some point in 2025 if things go downhill for whatever reason. For now though, it's Penix leading the show as Atlanta eyes the 2025 NFC South crown.

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When did the Falcons bench Kirk Cousins?

Cousins has been a backup for the Falcons since December 2024. The team announced Penix would start in Cousins' place for a Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants, which wound up being a 34-7 Falcons win. 

Although the team is has yet to win another regular-season game since then, Atlanta has stuck with Penix as its QB1 since that switch. Penix has gone 1-3 in his four career starts, while Cousins went 7-7 over his first 14 games with the team.

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Kirk Cousins contract

Cousins is in the second year of a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons he signed in March 2024. It became the largest total deal on the open market in NFL history.

According to Spotrac, Cousins' deal included a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed. He is currently the 14th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by average annual value, per Over the Cap.

Here's a breakdown of Cousins' deal, with figures coming from Spotrac.

MORE: Why the Falcons guaranteed Kirk Cousins' bonus in March

Will the Falcons trade Kirk Cousins?

Cousins was the subject of trade rumors throughout the past NFL offseason, due to his status as a former top-tier starter and new backup to Penix. While reports indicated that a trade was at least a possibility, one never came to fruition — which is likely due in-part to Cousins' contract.

Still, the more time that passes, the easier it could be for Atlanta to trade Cousins. It's more likely that a deal would happen next offseason, but if a contending team's signal caller goes down with a long-term injury in 2025, Cousins may be the top available option on the trade market.

According to The Athletic, the Falcons' asking price for Cousins in a trade is considered "high," although the team is willing to trade him. Still, Cousins is expected to finish the 2025 season in Atlanta, perhaps with a better opportunity to ship him out in the offseason.

Cousins has a no-trade clause and "would only be willing to approve a deal to a small number of teams," per The Athletic.

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Kirk Cousins stats

Here's a look at Cousins' career numbers.