Kirk Cousins Has $294 Million in Career Earnings & One Playoff Win; His Agent is One of the Greatest: Stephen A Smith

Kirk Cousins was the first big fish to come off the free agency board last spring. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons for four years and $180 million, including $100 million guaranteed. A 7-7 record and a league-high 16 interceptions later, it seems the Cousins experiment is already over in Atlanta. And, with the QB once again failing to meet expectations despite a big payday, Stephen A. Smith was heaping praise on a member of Cousins’ personal team.

On Wednesday, the Falcons put the writing on the wall. They announced that they would be benching Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., who will make his first career NFL start against the New York Giants on Sunday.

While most were discussing what this means for Cousins’ future, Stephen A. took the time to give Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, his flowers for his ability to get the QB top dollar every time he hits the market.

“Excuse me, $100 million guaranteed, $180 million contract. First of all his agent is Mike McCartney, we need to know that man. We need to get a picture of that man, we need to put him on national television and give him props as one of the great agents in the business. Kirk Cousins, this man has career earnings of $294 million, and one playoff victory.”

Smith started off by breaking down Cousins’ recent performance, which has fallen off a cliff. Among 28 QBs with 100+ attempts over the past five weeks, Cousins is last in TDs (1), 7th-worst in completion percentage (62.7), last in interceptions (9), last in INT rate (5.7), and last in passer rating (63.8).

Smith also pointed out that Cousins has been paid like an elite QB over the last decade or so while only putting up two double-digit win seasons. And yes, just one playoff victory. As Smith said, McCartney certainly deserves some credit for selling Cousins so well every time his contract is up.

Kirk Cousins can choose where he goes after Atlanta

Benching Kirk Cousins when the Falcons are still just one game out of the division lead says a lot about what Raheem Morris and the rest of the staff think of him. They made a point when they drafted Penix in the top 10, and they’re doubling down on that now by benching Cousins. And that too while the team is still in the playoff mix. It would be shocking if Cousins was still in Atlanta in 2025. Here’s how Raheem Morris explained it:

“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward. This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”

Cousins has already received $90 million of the $100 million he has guaranteed. If they don’t move him (trade or cut) by March 16, the last $10 million will be locked in too. However, he also has a no-trade clause, which means he will have to agree to any trade in which the Falcons want to include him.

This means that he can essentially force them to cut him and pay him what he’s owed. Then, he can go and pick his next destination himself. It’s reminiscent of the situation Russell Wilson was in last offseason. Cousins will likely sign for his new team on the veteran minimum, like Wilson, as the Falcons will be forced to pay the rest of his salary.

Cousins will once again have a ton of options. He has looked positively awful over the last five weeks. But those first nine weeks were pretty solid, as he led the Falcons to a 6-3 record. The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders—the two teams in most dire need of a QB—will likely select new QBs at the top of the draft.

However, other teams like the New Orleans Saints, the Seattle Seahawks, the Cleveland Browns, the Indianapolis Colts, and the New York Jets could also be in the market for a veteran signal caller like Cousins next spring.