QB Kirk Cousins leaving Vikings for 4-year deal with Falcons.
Minnesota Vikings free agent quarterback
Kirk Cousins has agreed to a four-year contract with the
Atlanta Falcons, agent Mike McCartney announced.
Cousins, 35, was having one of his best seasons in 2023 and had been one of the NFL's most durable quarterbacks before tearing his right Achilles tendon in Week 8 at Lambeau Field. At the time, he was tied for the NFL lead in passing touchdowns (18) and ranked second in passing yards (2,331).
Before the injury, he had started 136 of a possible 138 games since ascending to QB1 with the
Washington Commanders in 2015. One of those two missed starts occurred when the Vikings were resting their starters for the playoffs in 2019, and the other came after a positive COVID-19 test in 2021.
Cousins spent three seasons as Washington's full-time starter but never found common ground on a long-term extension. He played his final two seasons with the team on the franchise tag, setting himself up to enter the free agent market in 2018 at age 30 -- a rare entrance of a high-level quarterback available to every NFL team in the prime of his career.
The Vikings, one year removed from backup
Case Keenum taking them to the 2017 NFC Championship Game, pounced quickly, hoping he could lift the team into the Super Bowl. They met his demand for a fully guaranteed three-year contract worth $84 million and since had signed him to extensions in 2020 and 2022 to provide short-term salary cap relief.
The Vikings did not, however, substantively improve their pursuit of the Super Bowl during that time. They had a 50-37-1 regular season record with one NFC North title and were 1-2 in two playoff games.
As a result, during negotiations in the spring of 2023, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decided against extending the guaranteed portion of Cousins' contract beyond the 2024 season. Instead, the sides agreed to an adjustment that allowed the Vikings to lower his salary cap number and guaranteed Cousins a path to free agency in 2024 without the Vikings having use of the franchise tag.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection ranks fifth among active quarterbacks -- and 24th all-time -- with 39,471 passing yards in 12 NFL seasons. Cousins' 270 touchdowns rank 20th all-time, and he has 110 interceptions. He also has rushed for 958 yards and another 19 scores.