Kirk Cousins
Getty
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins
The NFL is a cutthroat business where teams hold all the leverage, but few players have played the hand they were dealt better than Kirk Cousins.
After three seasons as a backup to Robert Griffin III, Cousins led a Washington team to a division title in his first year as a starter, posting a league-best 69.8 completion percentage.
But when Washington was non-committal to Cousins long-term, franchise-tagging him the following offseason, Cousins embraced a gunslinger mentality, throwing for 4,917 yards and 25 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl. Cousins played one more year before Washington traded for Alex Smith, but by this time, he had built himself up as a capable starting quarterback in the prime of his 20s who was set to reach the open market.
The Vikings’ pursuit of Cousins ultimately solidified his status as a franchise quarterback — and the rest is history.
Garnering the league’s first guaranteed contract and more cash than any player for nearly a decade, Cousins headlined the first case of ESPN Bill Barnwell’s “Bag Hall of Fame,” which celebrates players who out-maneuvered NFL front offices by betting on themselves.
“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,” Barnwell wrote.
“From 2016 to 2024, nobody took home more cash from NFL teams than Cousins, whose $291.3 million earned was $21 million ahead of the second-place passer. In part, that’s because Cousins didn’t emerge as early as most quarterbacks.”
In totality, Cousins earned a majority $185 million of his NFL earnings from his six seasons with the Vikings.
New Vikings Regime Moved Cautiously With Cousins
The circumstances that landed Cousins in Minnesota must be understood in the valuation of his contracts.
The Vikings had just made the NFC title game in 2018 with third-stringer Case Keenum and needed an upgrade at quarterback.
Then-head coach Mike Zimmer maintained he didn’t want the quarterback cap to restrict roster-building the rest of the team — but that is the price you pay for quality quarterback play.
General manager Rick Spielman put his money on Cousins, signing him to a three-year, $84 million deal. The Vikings missed the playoffs the following season, Zimmer and Spielman in the hot seat.
A walk-off, overtime wild-card round win over the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 postseason seemingly saved the Vikings braintrust for some time.
A two-year, $66 million extension for Cousins was agreed upon the ensuing offseason that saw a veteran exodus of talent leave the team, punctuated by Stefon Diggs‘ infamous tweet that led to a trade to the Buffalo Bills.
Poor drafting and an atrophied roster led to the Vikings missing back-to-back playoffs for the first time in the Zimmer-Spielman era, leading to their ousting after the 2021 season.
New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell opted to retread the Cousins investment one last time to the tune of a one-year, $35 million extension.
O’Connell coaxed out a 13-win season in his first year that saw Cousins tie the NFL record for most game-winning drives — a clutch gene not akin to Cousins’ career.
A playoff berth that season could have been enough for Cousins to go back to the negotiating table, but the new regime opted to let Cousins play out his deal in 2023, which ultimately led to his Achilles injury and eventual signing to the Atlanta Falcons.
Meanwhile, the Vikings reloaded their quarterback room with 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold the following season.
O’Connell worked the same magic with Darnold a year ago, proving the new regime’s gamble on getting younger at quarterback was right.
What’s Next for Cousins?
After being benched for Michael Penix Jr. last season, Cousins’ career is at a crossroads.
Penix is projected to be the Falcons’ starter, while Cousins is set to be the highest-paid backup this season.
If the Falcons part ways with Cousins next offseason, he will have earned $100 million of his four-year, $180 million deal.