Hall of Finance: Kirk Cousins could get revenge on Falcons and make bank at the same time

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris had seen enough,and decided to make a massive change to his offense. Veteran Kirk Cousins is heading to the bench while rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. will be the starter in the team's Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants. With this move, it could spell and end for Cousins time in Atlanta, and it didn't even last a full season.

This past offseason, Cousins was the top quarterback available in free agency, and the Falcons paid big bucks, signing him to a four-year, $180 million contract, with $90 million guaranteed at signing. This is why the decision to draft Penix in the first-round was heavily ridiculed. But the Falcons decision to draft Penix look a lot smarter.

Now, Cousins' status with the team is truly up in the air. Certainly, this will spell the end of his tenure with the Falcons. But Cousins could make a decision that could truly mess with the Falcons.

Kirk Cousins could make Falcons pay for benching him

Cousins has a full no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he could pick and choose where he will play. As Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team points out, Cousins' deal is essentially the one that Derek Carr had with the Las Vegas Raiders, in which he could tell the Falcons to cut him instead of trading him. Meirov points out that if Cousins were released, he can sign for the team minimum with a new organization, much like Russell Wilson did this past season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with his previous team fronting the bill. In this case, $90 million.

Meirov also points out that Cousins is owed an additional $10 million that becomes fully guaranteed by March 16, 2025. So, that complicates matters even further for the Falcons. If Cousins plays hardball, the Falcons may have no choice but to cut him.

It's not going to be easy for the Falcons if this is the route they choose to go. However, they know they will have to reach a decision before March 15 to avoid paying Cousins $10 million for the 2026 season. Their best bet would be to trade Cousins prior to June 1, as the dead cap will go down from $65 million to $37.5 million, per Spotrac. But given the circumstances, of having his replacement drafted before even starting a game, Cousins doesn't necessarily owe a favor to the Falcons.

Cousins' play dropped off recently, leading the team to look like a certified lock to win the NFC South, to clinging onto their hopes with a 7-7 record. In the team's previous five games, including a narrow win over the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, Cousins threw one touchdown and nine interceptions. That's how rough it has been for Cousins, and a contributing factor into why he was benched this week.

Through 14 games, Cousins threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions on a 66.9 completion percentage.

The Falcons are looking to salvage their season and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Morris hopes that pivoting to Penix will help them win the NFC South. But this offseason will be a difficult one, as they will have to figure out what to do with Cousins.