The NFL has taken over New Orleans, and it’s not just the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in town. Former and current players and coaches have flocked to the city to celebrate the league’s biggest event. That includes Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins was spotted at an event on Wednesday evening, but something odd occurred. When Cousins first appeared, he was seen wearing a grey Falcons t-shirt. Then, halfway through the event, he changed into a plain black shirt, according to Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter.
“Perhaps symbolically, Kirk Cousins put a blank Black t-shirt over his #Falcons t-shirt halfway through the event,” Ledbetter posted.
Ledbetter, as part of the media, was invited to the event, Battle of the Paddles. He attempted to interview Cousins several times to clarify his injury comments but was denied.
Perhaps symbolically, Kirk Cousins put a blank Black t-shirt over his #Falcons t-shirt halfway through the event. BTW, he lost to Drake Maye in the finals. pic.twitter.com/WbkVXNTFup
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) February 6, 2025
This could be yet another sign that Cousins’ days with the Falcons are numbered.
Earlier in the week, Cousins rattled Falcons fans after revealing on several media outlets that he had been suffering from a shoulder and elbow injury during the latter part of the season. Cousins said he sustained the injury in Week 10 against the Saints, a game in which Atlanta lost, setting them off on a four-game losing streak.
Cousins was then benched after a poor showing against the Raiders in Week 15 for rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Perhaps Cousins got wind of Adam Schefter’s report stating that the Falcons were likely not looking to trade him but rather to cut him.
“This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason before Denver ultimately decided to move on from him when it said it wouldn’t necessarily do that,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said during Wednesday’s NFL Live. “They released him, he wound up signing a one-year deal with a low salary in Pittsburgh, and that’s how I think people across the league believe this situation will unfold, with the Falcons releasing Cousins right around the start of the new league year.”
Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot said not long after the season ended that he was open to Cousins being a backup to Penix next season, and even Schefter acknowledged that. However, paying a backup $27.5 million seems irrational. Then again, if the Falcons were to cut him, he would carry a $40 million cap hit to the team, or over 15% of the team’s cap, according to Spotrac.
Cousins’ comments about his injuries have sparked a wildfire of controversy—one that maybe he didn’t quite see coming. Then again, this could be further leverage to remove himself from a situation that likely doesn’t see him reclaiming the reins as starting quarterback and instead moving on to another team.
