Kirk Cousins' 5 reasons for snubbing Vikings to sign for Falcons
Kirk Cousins has chosen to sign a four-year, £180million (£140.5m) deal with the Atlanta Falcons - turning down an offer from the Minnesota Vikings in the process.
Cousins, 35, played in the final year of his third different contract with the Vikings last season, but they couldn't agree on an extension. The Falcons then stepped in, expressing their interest in signing him to lead their new offensive scheme.
Cousins had been with the Vikings for six seasons, leading them to an impressive 13-4 record in 2022 before a season-ending injury in 2023. Now, he's leaving teammates like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison behind to join the Falcons.
Mirror Sport has listed the five main reasons why Cousins likely chose the Falcons over returning to the Vikings.
READ MORE: What Kirk Cousins joining Atlanta Falcons means for 2 other NFL quarterbacks and new draft class
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
READ MORE: Mac Jones has new home as New England Patriots cut ties with first-round pick
Long-term deal
Even though the Vikings wanted to keep Cousins, rumours suggested they were looking for a young quarterback to lead their team into the future. This probably means that Minnesota wasn't interested in matching Atlanta's offer of a four-year deal.
Plus, the Falcons offered Cousins a massive contract worth more than £35m per season. This deal gives also Cousins the chance to move to Atlanta, where he'll likely play out the rest of his career.
Family
Cousins has a strong connection to Atlanta, as his wife of 10 years is from there. Her family and friends still live in the city. Now, Cousins and his family are moving to Atlanta after he signed a four-year contract. They'll probably sell their house in Minnesota. The couple got married in Atlanta and they have two sons.
Click to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.
Cousins made his decision over the weekend (Getty Images)Zac Robinson
Zac Robinson is one of the most thrilling offensive coordinators in the NFL. He's the newest coach to come from Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams team and he knows a lot about analytics.
Before he became a coach, Robinson worked with Pro Football Focus. This company looks at what's happening in the NFL and collects data to find the best ways to play football. They also grade each player based on how they perform in each game.
Robinson learned a lot about how to play football from working with McVay, who is one of the most creative coaches in football. People say that Robinson is really smart when it comes to deciding which plays to use. Now, Cousins will work with Robinson to make their offense better.
Offensive weapons
Cousins is joining a team with one of the best offensive lines in the league. This means he'll be able to stay safe in the pocket. He'll also have some exciting offensive weapons to work with.
For Cousins, it all starts with the running game. Atlanta has the most exciting running back in the league, Bijan Robinson. He's expected to do really well in Robinson's scheme.
Tom Brady announces retirement from NFL "for good" after 23 seasons
At receiver, Cousins will have a go-to option out wide in Drake London, while having another versatile receiver in Kyle Pitts at tight end. Cousins throws to tight ends as well as any quarterback in the NFL, with Pitts providing vertical speed in order to stretch the field.
Legacy
Whatever happens from this point on, Cousins will already be remembered as a legend in two cities - Washington and Minnesota after his time with both respective teams. While he may not have brought much success in the way of playoff wins, Cousins has been an upper-tier quarterback for over a decade for both and will be remembered fondly.
He now has the opportunity to do so with a third team, who perhaps give him the best chance of winning towards the end of his career. If Cousins is able to win a Super Bowl - he gives himself an outside chance of becoming a Hall of Fame quarterback.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
