Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, traded by the Atlanta Falcons this week in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., is expected to leave the team before a $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17, according to an ESPN report on Saturday becomes.

The report, which cited “executives across the NFL,” said the Falcons would rather cut Cousins ​​than trade him. The reason for this is simple: The veteran QB has a no-trade clause and it seems unlikely that he will help the team by agreeing to a deal, especially after the team drafted Penix in the first round last spring.

Teams across the NFL therefore expect the Falcons to release Cousins ​​before March 17, when he is scheduled to receive a $10 million roster bonus for next season.

However, the report quoted a Falcons official as saying that the team could move forward on both quarterbacks, a move made possible by Penix’s relatively low salary cap hit of $5.2 million for next season.

As FOX Sports NFL writer Greg Auman wrote earlier this week, any team looking to acquire Cousins ​​would be “obligated to pay him $37.5 million next season, with no guaranteed money afterward.” the 2025 season. This is not a strong draft for quarterbacks, and the true free agent options are limited Minnesota‘S Sam Darnold And Pittsburgh‘S Russell Wilson as the only real starters available, if they are actually available.

And of course, as mentioned, this would also require Cousins ​​to agree to a trade.

The Falcons were heavily criticized for their quarterback maneuvers last spring.

First, they gave Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, a four-year, $180 million contract on the first day of free agency. The deal included a $100 million guarantee.

They then spent their No. 8 overall draft pick on Penix. As Auman wrote, the team said those moves “would improve their present and future at the game’s most important position, but they undermined Cousins ​​before he had taken his first snap.”

The Falcons, who are 7-7 and just one game out of first place in the NFC South, host the New York Giants (2-12) on Sunday, giving Penix a soft landing for his first career start. The game will air on FOX starting at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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