Kirk Cousins’ six-year run in Minneapolis is over.
The veteran quarterback has agreed to a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
Cousins’ deal includes a $50 million signing bonus and $90 million guaranteed over the next two seasons with an additional $10 million guaranteed in 2026 for a whopping $100 million total in guarantees, per Pelissero.
Cousins’ move to Atlanta was first announced by his agent, Mike McCartney.
Monday’s news is equally shocking because he’s departing Minnesota, where he’d made a comfortable home for he and his family with consistent play over the last six seasons, and because of the destination.
Most had expected Cousins, 35, to return to Minneapolis, primarily because the Vikings had just received a firsthand lesson in how difficult life in the NFL can be without a franchise quarterback following Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury. Instead of running it back with the known commodity, the Vikings allowed Cousins to test the open market, leading him to accept Atlanta’s offer and pack up his family to move south.
“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 general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement on Monday. “Kirk holds a special place in Vikings history, and we appreciate his leadership and contributions to the team and the Minneapolis-St. Paul community over the past six seasons. We wish him, his wife, Julie, and their children all the best
