One of the first major decisions for new Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski will be figuring out who starts at quarterback to open the 2026 season.
Oddly enough, it’s a situation Stefanski has dealt with plenty before — for better or worse — during his time with the Cleveland Browns.
For now, the choice appears to come down to Michael Penix Jr. entering his third season, or 15-year veteran Kirk Cousins. Or, it could end up being someone not currently on the roster.
Penix, who opened the 2025 season as Atlanta’s starter, tore his ACL midseason and could miss the early portion of 2026. As for Cousins, he may not even be on the team by March unless he and the Falcons work out a restructured deal.
If Cousins is released, Atlanta could explore the veteran market again. Still, Cousins — who ended the season starting the final eight games — might be the most realistic option if Penix isn’t fully ready, even if Atlanta’s latest contract decision suggests otherwise.
Falcons, Kirk Cousins’ Latest Contract Restructuring Doesn’t Bode Well for QB
At the end of the regular season, the Falcons reworked Cousins’ contract in a move that essentially set him up for a post-June 1 release. The $35 million he was scheduled to earn was reduced to $2.1 million, a change that freed up $32.9 million in cap space for Atlanta.
However, the remainder of Cousins’ guaranteed money — $67.9 million — becomes fully locked in on March 13, the third day of the 2026 league year, if he is not released before then.
CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, a former agent, said the Falcons’ approach mirrors contract moves teams have made before ultimately moving on from players.
“Anytime this type of contract maneuver has been made in the past (Alshon Jeffery, Javon Hargrave, Michael Thomas, Marcus Williams, etc.) a post-June 1 designation has been used to release the player,” Corry wrote.
Corry also noted that Cousins’ past relationship with Stefanski — dating back to their time together in Minnesota when Stefanski was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator — may not matter much in Atlanta’s decision.
“New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski’s history with Cousins doesn’t change his planned release,” Corry added.
Michael Penix Jr. Believes He’ll Be Back Sooner Than Expected
If Penix is right about his return timeline, Stefanski and the Falcons may not have to worry much about Cousins at all.
Penix recently told WSB-TV’s Zach Klein that he expects to be ready for Week 1.
When Klein asked what would test him most during his recovery — cutting or taking contact — Penix answered, “I won’t get hit until Week 1.”
Klein followed up, surprised: “You’ll be ready Week 1?”
“I’ll be ready,” Penix said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to be ready.”
Penix was injured in Week 11 on Nov. 16 of the 2025 season in an overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers and underwent surgery on Nov. 24.
The Falcons’ 2026 schedule has not been released, but the season will likely open around Sept. 13, which would give Penix close to 10 months of recovery time. Typical ACL recovery timelines are around nine months, though returning that quickly still qualifies as aggressive.
It’s also worth noting that Penix has now suffered three ACL tears during his football career — two in his right knee in 2018 and 2020, and now one in his left knee.
Falcons’ Kirk Cousins Return Gets Unsettling Contract Prediction