Overview

• Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal in March 2024 expecting to be Atlanta’s clear starter before the team surprised him with a top-10 quarterback pick.
• He said he “wasn’t expecting” the Falcons to select a quarterback so high and implied he would have remained with the Vikings if he’d known their draft plans.
• Cousins detailed a Week 10 hit by Saints defensive end Payton Turner that injured his arm and later admitted the shoulder damage undermined his play.
• After a 6–3 start, he was benched in Week 16 in favor of Penix, who finished the season as starter while the Falcons missed the playoffs.
• Cousins remains under contract as Penix’s backup with $27.5 million guaranteed and the Falcons have indicated they will consider trade offers before the 2025 season.