Kirk Cousins Set to Hit the Market

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Tue, Feb 24 2026 4:55 PM UTC

The Falcons have told QB Kirk Cousins that they'll release him at the beginning of the 2026 league year, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic.

What They're Saying

GM Ian Cunningham, on 92.9 The Game: "Out of respect for Kirk and Michael [Penix Jr.], felt like that was the right decision."

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

We've been expecting such a move, as mentioned in our NFL Free Agency Tracker. And it makes obvious sense.

The Falcons don't even know yet whether Penix can become their answer at QB. But his ascension made it clear that Cousins is not.

The veteran doesn't present a whole lot of upside either in real football or fantasy terms. But the league faces a supply issue at QB right now vs. the demand level. And that should present Cousins at least a chance to compete for a starting gig.

We'll see where he lands before projecting the fantasy impact any further.

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.