The Atlanta Falcons have made a decision about Kirk Cousins, according to a report. The Falcons are likely to keep Cousins as their backup going into training camp, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said on Thursday. Rapoport says the Falcons received trade interest in Cousins around the start of free agency, but they did not deal him.

The Atlanta Falcons made the decision to move forward with Michael Penix Jr. at the end of last season as their starting QB. Now in a wild series of events, Kirk Cousins is being linked to a team nobody would predict.

It was speculated that the Falcons may draft not one, but two edge rushers in this year's NFL Draft. They wasted no time making that happen while trading back into the first round in the Los Angeles Rams spot to select James Pearce Jr. from the Tennessee Volunteers .

Pearce had a standout career at Tennessee, where he was a two-time First-Team All-SEC and ran an impressive 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine. The Falcons gave up a 2025 2nd and 7th round pick and also a 2026 1st rounder,

The Atlanta Falcons took a pass rusher in the first round at No. 15 in Jalon Walker. As if taking a former Georgia star inside the top 32 was not enough, the Falcons doubled down and traded up for another edge rusher in James Pearce Jr.