Kirk Cousins' divorce from the Falcons is expected to be finalized before his $10 million roster bonus is due March 17, with executives across the league fully expecting Atlanta to have to release him by then.

While many believe veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is on the verge of being released by the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, some are wondering if the

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reviews the various factors and the possible outcomes at play as the Atlanta Falcons proceed with a succession plan from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr.

The Kirk Cousins fiasco for the Atlanta Falcons led to a $180 million decision, and the winner was Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons. So far.

Cousins is owed $27.5 million guaranteed in 2025, but the Falcons can spread out his post-2024 salary cap hits by designating him a post-June 1 release. Such a move after the 2024

Ian Rapoport suggested in a recent article that the Falcons could keep QB Kirk Cousins as a backup for the 2025 season.

Now, mere days after Cousins was sent to the bench, ESPN 's Adam Schefter reported that the Falcons are expected to cut Cousins before a $10 million roster bonus is due in March. Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal to join the Falcons this past March, a contract which included $100 million guaranteed.

At quarterback, the Falcons might go from cooked to cooking. In the midst of a race for the NFC South title, with three games left, Atlanta finally acknowledged that rookie Michael Penix Jr. offers a better chance to win than the quarterback the team gave  $100 million in guaranteed money last March,

Rookie Michael Penix Jr. made his first NFL start in place of Kirk Cousins, and it's fair to wonder if Cousins will play another meaningful snap for Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons have made a plethora of head-scratching decisions since their last playoff appearance in 2017. From forcing Matt Ryan out of the organization in pursuit of Deshaun Watson to the recent signing of Kirk Cousins,

It was the most surprising first-round pick in a long time when the Atlanta Falcons chose Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection in the NFL draft last April.