Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Jake Browning

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, October 7, 11:19 AM

According to Cincinnati Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the team's internal options at quarterback are "not in consideration" to replace current starter Jake Browning in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. As such, any potential replacement would have to come from outside the building. In three starts since replacing Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) under center, Browning has thrown for 516 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions while leading the team to an 0-3 record. However, it does not appear Cincinnati has confidence in current backup QB Brett Rypien or practice squad QB options Mike White and Sean Clifford. Most likely, Browning will be the signal-caller in a difficult Week 6 matchup against the Packers.