Kirk Cousins, the most sought-after free agent in the market, has just inked a four-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, as confirmed by his agent Mike McCartney. The deal, valued at $180 million, includes a generous $50 million signing bonus, according to NFL Media sources.
Although the agreement with the Falcons is set, it won’t be official until the new league year commences on Wednesday. However, the two parties managed to finalize the contract’s details on the first day of the legal tampering period.
At 35, Cousins concludes his stint with the Minnesota Vikings, a team that had expressed interest in keeping the veteran quarterback before he ventured into free agency. “After meaningful and constructive discussions with Kirk and his team, we couldn’t align on a contract that matched both Kirk’s and the Minnesota Vikings’ short and long-term goals,” stated Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He added, “Kirk occupies a special place in Vikings lore, and we’re grateful for his leadership and contributions both on the field and in the Minneapolis-St. Paul community over the past six seasons. We extend our best wishes to him, his wife, Julie, and their children.”
The Vikings’ strategy for free agency always accounted for various scenarios concerning the quarterback position. “We are now proceeding with plans that will enable us to continue assembling a team capable of competing for a championship,” the team stated.
Cousins, who joined the Vikings in 2018 with the NFL’s first fully guaranteed contract, leaves the team with a 50-37-1 record in regular-season play. Despite his productivity, the team’s postseason achievements were limited, with a 1-2 record during his tenure.
He now aims for greater postseason success with the Falcons, a team eager to make its mark in the playoffs for the first time since the divisional round in the 2017 season. Cousins is also on the mend from a torn Achilles suffered in Week 8 of the previous season. As he returns to peak condition, Cousins will find himself surrounded by a wealth of talent, including former first-round picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. Cousins is poised to be the catalyst for a Falcons offense that, despite its talent, has struggled in recent seasons.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are on the hunt for a new quarterback to usher in a new era for the franchise. Their search could potentially be resolved in the NFL Draft, where they hold the No. 11 overall pick.