Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was benched by the Atlanta Falcons in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. this week, is expected to part with the team before a $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17, according to an ESPN report Saturday.

The report, which cited “executives across the NFL,” said the Falcons are more likely to cut Cousins rather than trade him. The reason for that is simple: The veteran QB has a no-trade clause and would seem unlikely to help the team by approving a deal, especially after the team drafted Penix in the first round last spring.

Teams across the NFL are thus expecting the Falcons to release Cousins before March 17, when he is set to receive a $10 million roster bonus for next season. 

The report, however, did cite a Falcons official as saying that the team could keep both QBs moving forward, a move made possible by Penix’s relatively low salary cap number of $5.2 million for next season.

As FOX sports NFL writer Greg Auman wrote earlier this week, any team looking to acquire Cousins “would be committed to paying him $37.5 million next season, with no guaranteed money after the 2025 season. This isn’t a strong draft for quarterbacks, and the true free-agent options are limited, with Minnesota‘s Sam Darnold and Pittsburgh‘s Russell Wilson as the only true starters available, if they are in fact available.”

And of course, as noted, this would also require Cousins approving a trade.

The Falcons were roundly criticized for their quarterback maneuverings last spring.

First, they gave Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, a $180 million, four-year contract on the first day of free agency. The deal included $100 million guaranteed.

They then proceeded to spend their No. 8 overall draft pick on Penix. As Auman wrote, the team said these moves would add “their present and future at the game’s most important position, but it undercut Cousins before he’d taken his first snap.”

The Falcons, who are 7-7 and just a game out of first place in the NFC South, play host to the New York Giants (2-12) on Sunday, giving a Penix a soft landing for his first career start. The game will air on FOX, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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