FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Kirk Cousins is current at Atlanta Falcons necessary minicamp — and coach Raheem Morris doesn’t count on the veteran quarterback’s scenario to be a problem for incumbent starter Michael Penix Jr.
After being round for a couple of days through the early spring offseason program, Cousins was not current for apply throughout voluntary offseason workforce actions (OTAs). Cousins would like to be launched or traded to a different workforce so he generally is a starter, whereas Penix has been pegged as Atlanta’s starter since late final season, when he took over for a struggling Cousins.
“It has been much less dramatic of a scenario because it has been from an outside-of-the-building standpoint,” Morris mentioned Tuesday earlier than apply.
Morris mentioned Penix has confronted “exterior noise” since he was drafted eighth total by the Falcons in 2024 simply weeks after the workforce signed Cousins to a $100 million assured contract. Morris doesn’t count on Cousins’ presence to be a distraction, including that Cousins is a “high-quality particular person” who appreciates Penix each as an individual and participant.
“Kirk is just not within the enterprise of disrupting Michael Penix,” Morris mentioned.
The Falcons have maintained because the finish of final season that they’re comfy shifting ahead into 2025 with Cousins because the backup. Cousins is owed $27.5 million this season and the workforce figures it should pay him whether or not he is on the workforce or launched, so he’d extra useful as a prime backup. Cousins can also be owed a $10 million bonus in 2026.
Cousins, 36, would have most popular to have been minimize, which the Falcons didn’t do that offseason. Atlanta has mentioned potential trades, however the attainable touchdown spots for Cousins as a starter have diminished, particularly now that Aaron Rodgers has formally landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cousins has a no-trade clause and must approve any deal. The Falcons would additionally need the receiving workforce to eat a few of Cousins’ assured cash.
For now, although, Cousins is a Falcon and the group is working as if he shall be because the No. 2 quarterback this season.
“I at all times assume these items resolve themselves,” Morris mentioned.