Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Tyler Shough

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.

Wednesday, January 7, 12:14 PM

When asked if Tyler Shough is the team's starting quarterback going forward in 2026, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said, "Yeah, we feel great about Tyler." Shough continued to get better in his first NFL season and went 23-for-35 passing for 259 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, adding 34 rushing yards and another score on the ground. The 26-year-old second-rounder out of Louisville completed 67.6% of his 327 pass attempts in 11 games played (nine starts) for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Shough added 45 carries for another 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns. At the very least, Shough cemented himself as New Orleans' starting QB going into the 2026 season, and he should profile as a solid QB2 in superflex leagues and a nice backup with upside in single-QB formats.