Kirk Cousins
Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
One of the craziest stories across the NFL in recent seasons was Kansas City super fan Chiefsaholic robbing banks on his way to games. He eventually went to jail. Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has never robbed a bank, but he certainly knows how to secure a bag.
Last offseason there was interest from the Minnesota Vikings when it came to Kirk Cousins. As he always has though, he chased the money and went to Atlanta on what looked like a crazy deal.
It didn’t take long for Cousins to find the bench, and the process started when the Falcons used their first round pick on his replacement Michael Penix Jr. That has to sting as a competitor, but the ability to find paydays has always been Cousins’ strong suit and now he’s getting recognition for it.
Former Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins makes Bag Hall of Fame
Kirk Cousins has rarely won anything of substance. He is just 1-4 across his postseason career, but that has never stopped him from finding well-paying opportunities. He made more than $185 million across six years with Minnesota and has been paid $294 million in his career. That lands him a well-deserved place in ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s Bag Hall of Fame.
“If you explained this concept to an NFL fan and asked them who they thought was worthy of induction, they would probably name Cousins first. About to become the most expensive backup quarterback in NFL history, Cousins has earned more than $294 million in his career and has another $37.5 million in guaranteed money coming from the Falcons before the 2026 season begins. He has been underrated as a reliable passer for most of his career, but it’s also fair to say he has never been the best quarterback in football, either.
While the salary cap will eventually grow to the point where that figure is topped, the only other player in the same stratosphere in terms of earning money as a free agent (and the extensions that followed) is Drew Brees, who made more than $256 million after signing with the Saints. The only other players who topped $100 million in earnings from teams that signed them as free agents are Ryan Tannehill ($123.4 million) and Ndamukong Suh ($104 million). Is Cousins going to be a Hall of Famer like Brees or Rodgers one day? No. Does he belong in the Bag Hall of Fame? There can be no doubt.”
Bill Barnwell – ESPN
The final point by Barnwell is where Cousins’ legacy hits home. He hasn’t ever been close to the best at anything, and he’s certainly never going to sniff the Hall of Fame. He’ll have all of the dollars to keep him content after his career is over, but the accolades have never followed.
It’s worth wondering what the Minnesota Vikings would have looked like at different points during his tenure had he taken a discount to accommodate additional talent. Maybe his offensive line or defense could have been better. Maybe the team could have done something with the 10-5 (2019) or 13-4 (2022) records.
Now Cousins will sit behind Penix after throwing a league-leading 16 interceptions last season. He has nearly 43,000 passing yards to his credit and is just 12 touchdowns shy of 300. If he’s going to get another opportunity though, he’d need a team to unwisely eat a ton of his remaining contract, and hope they are ok with the mediocrity that comes with it.
Related: Max Brosmer Already Turning Heads Inside MN Vikings Organization
Cousins earned four trips to the flag football show that is the Pro Bowl. Other than that, he’s entering year 14 in the NFL while barely being a footnote in history. That is, of course, unless you’re counting his cash.
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