Two weeks ago, Kirk Cousins walked into Arthur Blank’s office asking for a move. Cousins wanted to be with a team where he could be a starter. With the rise of second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., he knows that team won’t be the Falcons. But the franchise reportedly didn’t intend to release him. Both head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot were clear about keeping him in Atlanta as their backup QB. Now it has emerged that they are “calling everyone right now that will listen” for a trade offer for Cousins. But given the nature of his deal, it is easier said than done. As the franchise and the player find themselves in a stalemate, Blank isn’t blinking first.

Arthur Blank—Home Depot mogul, philanthropic titan, and Falcons owner since 2002—isn’t just signing checks these days. He’s playing 4D chess with Kirk Cousins’s $100M guaranteed contract, a deal that’s stickier than Georgia humidity. Cousins doesn’t see his future in Atlanta and the franchise is happy to move him, only if they get what they want. And what they want is for a team to take some of Cousins’s $27.5 million guaranteed salary in 2025.

Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz reported, “They’re all-in on (Michael) Penix. He’s their guy. They love him. But they can’t keep Cousins — just can’t. So I think (Fontenot) is trying to find a trade partner willing to take on at least part of Kirk’s salary. I think (Fontenot) is trying to find a trade partner willing to take on at least part of Kirk’s salary.” But so far, it appears, they have had no luck but, Blank is in no hurry.

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave an insight into how the Falcons see the situation after his host raised another possibility: “Somebody might call up Terry Fontenot and offer a draft choice. Depending on where the draft choice is, it depends on how much money Atlanta’s willing to eat, or something, right? Like, that is possible, isn’t it?”

Fowler responded, “It’s (trade) possible, but it’s stagnant right now because no team is just going to tell Atlanta, ‘Hey, we’ll cover $20 million of that contract.’ Sure, and we’ll throw in a fifth-round pick. Like, nobody’s going to make that leap.” Essentially, if other teams aren’t willing to bite, Blank has no reason to force a move.

Moreover, they have no qualms about keeping Cousins even if it means eating into their wallets. The Falcons paid Cousins $62.5 million guaranteed in 2024 and will give him another $27.5 million guaranteed in 2025. Keeping him on the roster beyond March 15, already means they have triggered a $10 million roster bonus due to hit their pockets in 2026. Overall, the Falcons committed $100 million to Cousins for 14 starts.

“And so if they’re not making that leap Atlanta’s not motivated. A team source told me, ‘We’ve paid him these are guaranteed monies so don’t need to do anything right now.’ Maybe closer to the draft, this heats up, but they really are prepared to hold on to him until something crystallizes, where they feel like can get good value. I believe this is an ownership decision in Atlanta. Arthur Blank just paid this guy, and now it’s going to be $100 million in guaranteed money for essentially one year of production and a benching,” Fowler added. Blank’s playing the long game, even if it means eating $20M like leftover Waffle House hash browns.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons last offseason, but had a less-than-ideal campaign. He began the season as the starter for the first 14 games, but his performance wavered as the year progressed. During Atlanta’s crushing four-game losing streak from Week 10 to Week 14, which ultimately sealed the team’s playoff fate, he struggled, failing to throw a single touchdown while tossing eight costly interceptions. As a result, head coach Morris turned to Michael Penix Jr. as the starting QB in Week 16.

Cousins’s 2024 stats—3,508 yards, 18 TDs, 16 INTs, and a QBR lower than a rookie’s GPA—paint a messy picture, his contract an even bigger conundrum.

Cousins’ contract puts Atlanta in a financial bind when it comes to a potential trade. If the Falcons move him before June 1, they’d free up just $2.5 million while absorbing a staggering $37.5 million in dead money for 2025 with lingering hits of $25 million in 2026 and $12.5 million in 2027. However, waiting until after June 1 would soften the blow, spreading the dead money evenly at $12.5 million per year over the next three seasons. More importantly, it would provide significant cap relief of $27.5 million this year and a massive $45 million in both 2026 and 2027.

As such you can understand why Arthur Blank is playing the waiting game. There is one team, however, that can solve the entire problem. According to Fowler, Cousins was “firmly on the radar” of the Browns when he got benched and still seems like a “realistic option” for them. But Fowler added, “he’s just simply not available until Atlanta changes their mind or becomes a little more flexible.”

Meanwhile, free agency chaos saw ‘B players get A money,‘ as Fowler put it. Offensive tackles cashed $20M/year checks, while Cousins’s $100M albatross hung in the air like a deflating blimp. Blank’s strategy? Wait for the things to get desperate as he holds the cards closer to his chest.

As Cousins’ future remains in the air, at least one player is moving out of Atlanta.

Morris’ misfortune: Bye-bye, Lorenzo

While Blank plays cap-space cowboy, Morris is stuck singing the blues. Linebacker Lorenzo Carter—a Falcon since 2022—inked a deal with the Titans, leaving Atlanta’s defense thinner than the plot of Riverdale. Carter’s stats? 32 tackles, and 0 sacks in 2024. Not exactly Ray Lewis vibes, but his 2022 heroics (pick-sixes, blocked punt TDs) earned him cult-hero status.

Morris had hoped Carter’s return from a concussion would spark a late-season rally. “Hoping to get back Lorenzo this week,” he said months ago. Instead, Carter’s now Nashville-bound, leaving Morris to lean on rookies and prayer. The Titans, meanwhile, gain a Swiss Army knife defender—6’5”, 265 lbs of “versatility,” per Ex-GM Ran Carthon. Atlanta’s loss is Tennessee’s gain, and Falcons fans are muttering “bless your heart” into their peach cobbler.

Carter’s exit stings like a hornet at a BBQ. His 2022 highlights—a pick-six against Carolina, a blocked punt TD vs. the Rams—were SportsCenter gold. But NFL rosters churn faster than the plaid jacket trend. “That’s listening to your doctors,” Morris shrugged when asked about Carter’s injury.

Morris—once the Rams’ “we’ll fix it” defensive guru—is now desperately rebuilding a linebacker corps with duct tape and hope.

Eisen summed up the NFL’s chaotic free agency best when he asked Fowler, “What’s your take coming out of it?” Fowler didn’t hold back: “I mean, the money was crazy. Guys got overpaid. I mean, we see that every year, right? B players get A money in free agency. But they were—I mean, no offense to some of the guys that were out there, but you had sort of middle-of-the-road offensive tackles getting $20-plus million a year.” Well, even in the wild world of NFL free agency, the Falcons’ situation feels especially unpredictable.

Blank’s patience with Cousins could pay off—or it could backfire spectacularly. Either way, the drama isn’t over. In the end, the Falcons’ 2025 season hinges on Blank’s billionaire stubbornness and Morris’s next-man-up grit. Will Cousins soar or crash? Will Carter haunt Atlanta from Nashville? Grab your popcorn, this drama’s just getting started.