Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins is expected to be released before his $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17th, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter cites executives across the league who are “fully expecting” Atlanta to release the 36-year-old quarterback before his roster bonus is due. This comes on the heels of an ESPN report Friday that called Cousins’ chances of returning as a backup next year “slim.” Despite his play falling off a cliff this year, Cousins still holds leverage over the Falcons because his ridiculous contract includes a no-trade clause. According to Schefter, Cousins isn’t going to do any favors for the franchise after they surprised him on draft night by selecting another quarterback and thus wouldn’t allow a trade before March 17th. From Atlanta’s perspective, there’s no reason to hang onto Cousins past March 17th considering they already owe Cousins $90 million. Cousins, who has turned holding leverage over teams into an art form over the course of his career, is set to become a free agent once again.