Kirk Cousins has been much maligned throughout his career for his inconsistency for coming out victorious in enough big games or taking his teams on long playoff runs. Regardless, he still has a surplus of value around the league as a productive, veteran signal caller. It just will not be in the ‘Twin Cities’ with the Minnesota Vikings any longer.
The Atlanta Falcons are going to find out what Cousins has left in the tank, especially coming off an Achilles injury. Cousins agreed to a deal with the Falcons, according to several media reports, including ESPN’s Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter. That move has been rumored for a few days, and now the Falcons get a big quarterback upgrade over Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, with new head coach Raheem Morris.
Cousins and the Falcons agreed to a four-year deal per reports, though the contract cannot officially be signed until Wednesday. It is an enormous deal for a quarterback who has done well to max out his earnings. The deal will be for $180 million, includes a $50 million signing bonus and includes a total of $100 million guaranteed according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
Perhaps with a change of scenery, Cousins can finally get that playoff monkey off of his back and establish more success and a little more respect.
Cousins is a known commodity. Some might say that established level is not worth chasing, but he has always put up above average numbers.
Cousins’ first six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings were good to great, after he inked an unprecedented three-year, $84 million contract that was fully guaranteed. He threw for 23,265 yards and 171 touchdowns during that time under center. He was selected for three Pro Bowls. He was also solid in his six seasons with the Washington Commanders, before the Commanders could not afford any more franchise tags for him and he hit the free agency market.
It was not enough for some of the critics who linked Cousins with mediocrity, even though he had given the Vikings a higher floor at quarterback than most teams had the past six seasons. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah thanked Cousins in a statement, and explained that the organization could not find a contract that “fits the short and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings.”
Embed from Getty ImagesCousins was playing out of his mind in 2023 when he tore his Achilles tendon late in a game against their division rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. That added a layer of doubt to Cousins’ offseason, as his seemingly never-ending string of contract extensions with the Vikings ran out and he became a free agent. A quarterback about to turn 36 years old, coming off a major injury, was far from a sure thing.
But Cousins still offered a better solution at the quarterback position for a desperate team than many of the other options. The Falcons have a ready-made situation for Cousins to walk into.
Part of the criticism of former coach Arthur Smith was how poorly he used his best players on the offensive side of the football. And the Falcons have plenty of good players.
Bijan Robinson was the No. 8 pick out of the University of Texas at running back. Drake London is a solid No. 1 receiver. Kyle Pitts is one of two tight ends in NFL history with 1,000 yards as a rookie. They all are fantastic players, but they were stuck with a bad quarterback and a coach who stubbornly refused to use them correctly.
Thankfully, the coaching situation has changed. And so has the quarterback.
Perhaps Cousins can get the most out of his teammates. He will have to prove he is healthy, but if he can play like he did last season prior to the injury, it will raise everyone’s level on the offense. The Falcons play in a very winnable NFC South and could walk right into a division title if Cousins plays well.
What he does on his third and likely final NFL stop will help shape Cousins’ legacy, for better or worse.
