Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Tua Tagovailoa

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.

Monday, January 5, 3:19 PM

When asked if he was hoping for a "fresh start," Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said on Monday, "That would be dope. I would be good with it." Although Tagovailoa avoided another concussion this year, the 27-year-old former fifth overall pick struggled to take the next step for the Dolphins' offense in his sixth year in the NFL. Tagovailoa completed 67.7% of his 384 pass attempts for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in his 14 starts, a year after leading the league with a 72.9 completion percentage. After the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention, the team benched Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers for the final two weeks of the season. As of right now, head coach Mike McDaniel has not been fired, and if he returns for next season, it's unlikely that Tagovailoa will join him in South Beach. Tagovailoa is owed $54 million guaranteed next year, but he could be released with a post-June 1 designation to split his $99.2 million salary cap charge over two seasons.