The Atlanta Falcons’ decision to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract was met with mixed reviews at the time. Then, it looked like a huge mistake when they used a first-round pick to get his replacement just weeks later.
Fast forward to today, and Cousins is, predictably, on his way out. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Falcons will release him in the offseason:
"His contract modification was part of a quid pro quo aimed at ensuring his release early in the free-agency period," Florio reported. "It will happen with a post-June 1 designation, splitting the $35M in dead cap money over two years. The movement of the bulk of Cousins' 2026 salary to 2027 gives the team a lower cap number to carry until the release officially hits the financial books on June 2. The $67.9M guarantee that vests on March 13 ensures that they’ll release him between the start of the league year on March 11 and the close of business on March 12."
That leaves the door wide open for a reunion with Kevin O’Connell. And, even if the Minnesota Vikings still believe in J.J. McCarthy as the future of the organization, they simply cannot afford to let him go somewhere else.
The Vikings need to bring Kirk Cousins back
Coach Kevin O’Connell built a reputation as a quarterback whisperer. However, not even he could work his magic with McCarthy this season.
The Michigan product showed glimpses of strong play, and chances are that he might just need some more time to learn to reach his potential. That being said, the Vikings can’t afford to wait for him.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has put together a Super Bowl-caliber roster, and this is the same team that won 14 games with Sam Darnold just one season ago.
Bringing Cousins back on a team-friendly deal would allow the Vikings to stay competitive while giving McCarthy a proven veteran as his mentor. It would also buy them more time to determine whether he’s the right guy to lead the team in the future or cut their losses.
The NFC North is probably the most competitive division in pro football right now, and the Vikings have more than enough talent on both sides of the field to stay in contention with average quarterback play, even if Brian Flores leaves.
Cousins closed out the season on a high note, going 5-3 as a starter and completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards, ten touchdowns and five interceptions.
McCarthy, on the other hand, completed just 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 picks, and he missed seven games due to multiple injuries.