Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Case Keenum

Tuesday, January 6, 12:56 PM

The Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Kirk Cousins agreed to tweak the final two years of the QB's contract on Tuesday, setting the stage for a decision on his future to be made by the third day of the new league year on March 13, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. Cousins now has a guarantee for $67.9 million for the 2027 season that will vest on March 13. The restructure also includes reducing Cousins' 2026 base salary from a non-guaranteed $35 million to just $2.1 million. Atlanta's front office is in flux following the firing of general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday, but the Falcons could still move on from Cousins before March 13 as a post-June 1 release. A release of that kind would split the dead money on Cousins' contract over 2026 and 2027, as opposed to the team taking on the full amount in 2026. The 37-year-old played in 10 games this season, including starting the final seven following Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending knee injury. Cousins was serviceable, throwing 10 TDs and five interceptions, but he probably isn't in the team's long-term plans at the position.

Tuesday, August 26, 9:33 PM

Chicago Bears quarterback Case Keenum (leg) has made the 53-man roster and will open 2025 as the team's third-string signal-caller. Keenum has been dealing with a minor leg injury this month, but it won't be enough to keep him off the roster. The well-traveled 37-year-old joined the Bears in free agency in April after a second stint with the Houston Texans. He didn't play at all last year after suffering a foot injury and hasn't attempted 100-plus passes in a season since 2019, which he spent with Washington. With Caleb Williams entrenched as QB1 and Tyson Bagent locked into the No. 2 role, Keenum shouldn't see any meaningful action this season unless things go catastrophically wrong for the Bears.