The free agent who was widely viewed as the top player on the market is now off the board. Kirk Cousins has agreed to a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, according to his agent Mike McCartney. Cousins' contract is worth $180 million, which includes a $50 million signing bonus, per NFL Media.
Atlanta announced the signing Wednesday:
Atlanta Falcon: @KirkCousins8 pic.twitter.com/9rJizLi4Q9
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 13, 2024
Cousins' deal with the Falcons cannot officially be completed until the start of the new league year on Wednesday, but the two sides were able to hammer out the parameters of this contract on the first day of the legal tampering period.
Cousins, 35, ends his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings, who were reportedly looking to retain the veteran quarterback before him hitting the open market.
"After significant and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to reach agreement on a contract that fits the short and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement released shortly after the news of the signing with Atlanta coming out. "Kirk holds a special place in Vikings history, and we appreciate his leadership and contributions to the team and Minneapolis-St. Paul community over the past six seasons. We wish him, his wife, Julie, and their children all the best.
"Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position. We are moving forward with plans that will allow us to continue building a roster that can compete for a championship."
Cousins arrived in Minneapolis in 2018 when he inked the first-ever fully guaranteed deal in league history. He spent the next six seasons with the franchise and owned a 50-37-1 regular season record over that stretch. While Cousins was productive with the Vikings, playoff success did elude the team as they were 1-2 in the postseason over his tenure.
He'll now look for further playoff success with a Falcons team that is looking to reach the postseason for the first time since losing in the divisional round in the 2017 season.
Of course, Cousins is also looking to come back from a torn Achilles he suffered in Week 8 of this past season that cut his year short. As he returns to full strength and joins his new club in Atlanta, Cousins will be welcomed with a plethora of weapons, including former first-round picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.
Cousins should be looked as the missing puzzle piece that could unlock a Falcons offense that has struggled in recent seasons despite adding highly talented players at the skill positions.
For Minnesota, they will now be looking for a new quarterback to lead its franchise into a new era. That could potentially come via the NFL Draft where they currently own the No. 11 overall pick.
