NFL insider sounds alarm over Falcons' costly Kirk Cousins dilemma as $10M guarantee deadline nears

Kirk Cousins was supposed to bring divisional titles when he joined the Atlanta Falcons for four years and $180 million in 2024. Instead, he struggled to be consistently trustworthy and was eventually benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr.

And as the deadline for his $10-million guarantee looms, it does not bode well for his future, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Speaking on Rich Eisen's eponymous show on Friday, he said:

"Well, it's a unique situation... They paid (him) 62.5 million in the first year of his deal for 13 starts before he got benched, they owe him another $27.5 million fully guaranteed in 2025. That additional vesting they're referring to is a 2026 payment of ten million that flips from an injury guarantee to full guarantee if he's still on the roster by 4pm on Saturday."

He continued:

"Well, the Falcons viewpoint on that is, if Kirk Cousins is playing in 2026 somewhere, he's probably making over ten million that's subject to offsets."

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Will Kirk Cousins be traded out of Falcons? Steelers floated as possible destination for QB

In that same interview, Pelissero expressed confidence that Cousins would remain a Falcon come the first snap of the 2025 season unless an "opportunity" surfaced - given the no-trade clause on his contract:

“They aren't ready to make a move with Kirk Cousins... Everybody's got to be on board with it. This could be resolved in a week or in a month from now, depending on how these teams let it play out.”

However, at least one insider thinks said clause will be waived if the "opportunity" involves the quarterback-needy Pittsburgh Steelers. Back on Wednesday, Bleacher Report's James Palmer posited this trade scenario (from 16:25):

"If Aaron Rodgers goes to the Giants and the Steelers are left without a quarterback, they may want Kirk Cousins... Do (the Falcons) say, 'We'll eat this anount of money. You bring Kirk Cousins in for $15 million, which is nothing. We'll pay the rest. We'll buy a draft pick from you.'"

Cousins is coming off his worst performance when starting more than eight games, leading the league in interceptions with sixteen. He also suffered a joint-worst thirteen fumbles (two of them lost) and recorded new career-lows in completions (303), passing yards (3,508), and passer rating (88.6), as well as tying his career-low in passing touchdowns (18).