Kirk Cousins officially inks four-year, $180 million deal with Falcons

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who agreed to sign a four-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, made the deal official on Wednesday.

The deal is reportedly worth $180 million and includes a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed — $90 million in 2024 and 2025, plus another $10 million in 2026.

In his introductory press conference, the new Falcons quarterback was asked about winning a Super Bowl in Atlanta: “Winning is what it’s all about…that’s where the focus lies… you certainly believe there’s the pieces here that you can do that.”

He added “It felt like this was a place where, if I play at the level I expect to play, I can retire a Falcon. That’s certainly the goal.”

Before tearing his Achilles tendon in October, the four-time Pro Bowler threw for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions in just eight games with the Vikings.

Cousins, who spent the past six seasons as Minnesota’s franchise QB, ranks second in Vikings history with 35 touchdown passes in a season (2020), while his eight games with three-plus passing touchdowns in the same year is a franchise record. His 47 QB starts and 25 wins also put him at fifth and sixth in Vikings history.

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Similarly to when he arrived in Minnesota in 2018, Cousins now takes over another talented roster with a need at quarterback in Atlanta. The Falcons have spent several of their most recent first-round picks at offensive skill positions, including tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson.

The Vikings will now look to replace Cousins with what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah termed as “layers of contingencies at the quarterback position” in a statement Monday after Cousins’ move. One of those contingencies reportedly involves current San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Sam Darnold. The Vikings also hold the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which features a loaded group of quarterbacks.

There will also be some familiarity for Cousins, who worked under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay during his first NFL stop in Washington, as well as McVay’s former Los Angeles Rams OC Kevin O’Connell over the past two seasons in Minnesota. Cousins now joins new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who was an assistant in Washington when Cousins was there, and OC Zac Robinson, who’s also a former Rams assistant under McVay.

Cousins, a fourth-round pick by Washington in 2012, spent his first six seasons in the NFL with the Commanders.