We’re several months removed now from the Kirk Cousins saga and his decision to leave the Minnesota Vikings in free agency to join the Atlanta Falcons. Although the Vikings have moved on, shifting their focus to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy , more and more details continue to surface regarding Cousins’ offseason drama with both the Vikings and the Falcons.
Kirk Cousins would’ve reconsidered staying in Minnesota knowing what he knows now
According to Jeremy Fowler (ESPN) , he recently noted that Cousins would’ve “garnered more consideration” to stay in Minnesota for one more year if he would’ve known from the beginning that the Atlanta Falcons were going to draft Michael Penix Jr. at pick No. 8 in the 2024 NFL Draft. An organizational decision that stunned Cousins and his family when he first found out.
While a source close to Cousins said he did not feel misled by Atlanta, which had to do significant draft legwork on prospects over the five weeks between free agency and the draft, an alternative would have garnered more consideration: a one-year deal back to Minnesota, which could have proceeded with its own draft plan at quarterback, J.J. McCarthy in the first round, while staying competitive with Cousins as the likely signal-caller for one more year.
Jeremy Fowler ( ESPN )
What’s done is done now, but what’s still unclear is if Cousins would’ve actually changed his decision. Fowler notes that he would’ve reconsider staying in Minnesota another year but that doesn’t necessarily mean he for sure would’ve. Kirk Cousins has both privately and publicly expressed his concerns about the continued short term deals he took with Minnesota, but at the same time, the Minnesota Vikings and Cousins were open to another deal to keep him in purple and gold for at least the 2024 season.
Cousins signed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons this past offseason but that doesn’t mean he’ll be there for the full four years. Especially now after they drafted a quarterback within the top-10. A few national media members have hinted that Cousins is likely there for two-years, based on how the contract is structured, but could be one-year-and-done .
Related: How Much Will JJ McCarthy Play in Vikings Preseason Opener?
Overall, Cousins is no longer the Minnesota Vikings’ problem. He’ll officially be off the salary cap books ($28.5M dead cap hit) after this upcoming season opening the door for the Vikings to be able to spend big money in the free agency market. Cousins is the past, while McCarthy is the future.
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