When Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings mutually agreed to part ways at the start of the 2024 league year, the reason didn’t come down to his age, talent or even his recently-torn Achilles tendon.
It came down to money, and when it comes to the business side of the NFL, few players in league history have a better track record than Cousins.
The Vikings, of course, were preparing to select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. With Cousins recovering from Achilles surgery, the team wasn’t prepared to move forward with another multi-year deal. To stay in Minnesota, Cousins would have had to accept less cash and commitment from the Vikings, knowing full well that the team was preparing to bring in a highly-touted rookie as direct competition for his job.
So Cousins made the better business decision for his family. The Atlanta Falcons not only offered him a multi-year free agent contract, but they included $100 million in guarantees. With a clear path to Atlanta’s QB1 job out of the chute, it was painfully easy for Cousins to bid farewell to Minnesota and state how Atlanta “felt like home” during his introductory press conference.
So with all due respect to Cousins — who made a business decision that literally no human being would pass on — his comments on Netflix’s new season of Quarterback should be met with nothing more than eye rolls in the Twin Cities.
"Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would've affected my decision,” Cousins reflected on Atlanta’s decision to use a top-10 draft pick on Michael Penix Jr. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I've also learned in 12 years in this league that you're not entitled to anything. It's all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself."
No reason to leave Minnesota? C’mon, Kirk.
Cousins had $100 million reasons to bolt for Atlanta and, again, earning money has never been a problem throughout his 13-year NFL career. Cousins ranks No. 7 overall on the league’s list of highest all-time earners at over $293 million.
Maybe Cousins truly does regret leaving Minneapolis, on a human level, and would welcome the opportunity to return as J.J. McCarthy’s backup this season. Would the Vikings welcome that reunion? Unless the Falcons cave and grant Cousins his release — which would force Atlanta to foot the bill for 2025, and allow the Vikings to sign him at around the veteran minimum — there’s no feasible path back to Minnesota anytime soon.
Most likely, Cousins will remain “stuck” on the bench in Atlanta, where he’s set to make $27.5 million in cash as a backup quarterback in 2025.
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