The Falcons have agreed to restructure Kirk Cousins' contract, essentially guaranteeing the quarterback will be released this offseason. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons don’t have a head coach or a general manager, but that hasn’t stopped the team from continuing to do business.

The most significant item of business early this week was a restructuring of quarterback Kirk Cousins’ contract that gives the team more financial flexibility this spring and allows Cousins to essentially advertise to the rest of the league — or anyone interested in his services — that he will be a free agent by March 12.

Atlanta converted Cousins’ 2026 salary from $35 million to $2.1 million, according to a league source, moving the leftover $32.9 million to his 2027 base salary, making his base salary for that season $67.9 million. The move essentially guarantees Cousins will be released before March 13 because that entire $67.9 million would be due to him if he’s still on the roster then.

Releasing Cousins with a post-June 1 designation would cost the Falcons $35 million of dead cap hit, which can be split into two payments of $22.5 million (2026) and $12.5 million (2027). This week’s move frees up some of that money earlier for Atlanta.

Cousins said Sunday that he wants to return for a 15th NFL season in 2026 and would be open to continuing to play in Atlanta.

“I’d like to keep playing, but we’ll see how things play out in March or even after that,” he said. “I would love to be back here. We’ll see how things play out. At this point, you kind of just see where it goes.”

The firing of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot shortly after Cousins’ comments increased the chances of a quarterback other than Michael Penix Jr. having a chance to start for the Falcons next year. Morris and Fontenot used the eighth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Penix, and Morris had made it clear that Penix would return to the starting lineup as soon as he returns from a torn ACL suffered in Week 11.

Atlanta’s next coaching staff might not be as married to Penix as the answer at quarterback and could search for another starting-quality option. Cousins, who joined the team two years ago, could re-sign with the team after being released.

Cousins finished the season 31st in the league in EPA per dropback (minus-0.02), but he led the Falcons to a 5-2 record after replacing Penix as the starter and was 21st in the league in EPA per dropback (0.02) in that stretch.