The quarterback market got a little bit more intriguing heading into NFL free agency.
The Atlanta Falcons are set to release quarterback Kirk Cousins on the first day of the new league year (Wednesday, March 11), Atlanta GM Ian Cunningham said on Feb. 24. Cousins’ impending release will add a splash of veteran to the pool this offseason, a move that should make some ears perk up around the league.
Cousins’ market isn’t expected to be quite as robust given he’s entering the twilight of his career, though he had a presentable 2025 season filling in for an injured Michael Penix (1,721 passing yards, 10 touchdowns to 5 interceptions). That could mean that a team which is looking for a guiding veteran hand or a stopgap passer could view Cousins, 37, as an intriguing option as he enters, presumably, the last few seasons of his NFL career.
Here are a few teams who could consider Cousins’ services entering 2026 NFL free agency:
New York Jets
This one seems most obvious. The Jets will look under every rock, exhaust every option, search every nook and cranny and use every idiom and cliche they can to try and find quarterback help this offseason. Coming off a year where the Justin Fields gamble went big-time bust, New York needs nothing but stability at the position entering 2026.
Cousins won’t be the long-term answer in New York, but there are worse options to be had on the open market. The Jets and Cousins famously flirted during his free agency in 2018, but that resulted in Cousins signing with the Minnesota Vikings and the Jets drafting Sam Darnold a few months later.
Plus, Cousins immediately has the inside track to starting in 2026, giving him a good, last shot as an NFL starter without any true competition – barring some kind of shocking draft move for the Jets.
Minnesota Vikings
Could the Vikings keep it all in the family with Cousins?
Already there are question marks surrounding quarterback J.J. McCarthy, both in productivity and health. It couldn’t hurt to bring in Cousins or a veteran-type to accomplish several missions: compete, mentor and provide a viable backup passer in case of injury. Cousins could check all three of those boxes as a veteran passer with an opportunity to see the field again if McCarthy isn’t cutting it.
Cousins enjoyed some of the best football of his career with Kevin O’Connell before an Achilles tear ended his tenure in Minnesota prematurely (47 touchdowns over 25 games while with O’Connell). The familiarity would certainly help in a season where Minnesota should be gunning for a playoff spot in a crowded NFC.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are almost assuredly going to take Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall selection. That doesn’t mean that sitting him for a bit isn’t in the best interest of the team.
With the Raiders moving on from Geno Smith in the coming weeks, that may signal that they’re looking to hand the keys to Mendoza, assuming he’s the pick. But a veteran in the room with a young quarterback should be part of Vegas’ plan.
New Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak and Cousins worked together in Minnesota, as Kubiak operated as the team’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator between 2019 and 2021. There would probably be few better to take the reins and be a voice in the quarterback room to a young, potential franchise passer than Cousins, who seemingly worked very well alongside Michael Penix in Atlanta.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have to navigate choppy waters in the first offseason of the Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan era, largely at the quarterback position.
Tua Tagovailoa is still on the books, and it seems like both sides would be open for a fresh start that isn’t in South Beach. There are several hurdles in order to get to that point, largely Tagovailoa’s contract and another team’s willingness to take a gamble on his health and a change of scenery helping his case.
The new Miami braintrust may look to bring in free agent passer Malik Willis, but if that price tag is too great for the Dolphins, then maybe they look elsewhere for a bridge to their QB of the future. If the Dolphins manage to get through the Tagovailoa wall, maybe Cousins is a viable stopgap on a cheap deal as they figure out their QB situation moving forward.