After a few years of being turned down for jobs, former Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham landed a big role. Cunningham was named general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, moving on to the next step in his career.
Now, as Cunningham arrives at his first combine as the head man in charge, he’s making his first big decision.
Ian Cunningham, Falcons moving on from Kirk Cousins
As the NFL Scouting Combine gets underway in Indianapolis this week, a lot of talk will be on potential free agents. Now, we can officially add another one to the list for teams needing a quarterback.
Ian Cunningham confirmed Tuesday morning during an appearance on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta that the Falcons will release veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins when the new league year begins in March. Cousins signed a four-year deal in 2024 worth $180M with $100M guaranteed. He lasted just two seasons in Atlanta as the Falcons also drafted Michael Penix in the 2024 season.
#Falcons GM Ian Cunningham confirmed on @929TheGame that Kirk Cousins will be released in March on the first day of the new league year, making him a free agent.
Cousins earned $100M during his two seasons with Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/gFKAXXBl8p
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 24, 2026
The Falcons are in a tough spot as Penix had a season-ending injury last year and likely won’t be ready for the start of 2026. Even so, Penix hasn’t proved to be a franchise quarterback the Falcons had hoped he would be.
The challenge now for Ian Cunningham is to find a long-term solution at quarterback. It’s a relatively weak draft class in terms of quarterbacks. The Falcons likely aren’t going to make a big move in free agency for one either. But the most important thing is that they made a decision on a veteran that cost them a lot of money.
Now, Cunningham has to do one of the hardest things in sports. Find a franchise quarterback.
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