Kirk Cousins’ $180,000,000 move to Falcons was fueled by Vikings’ desire for a young replacement QB: Report

Kirk Cousins shattered the ceilings after his blockbuster move to the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year. However, a recent report suggests that the quarterback moved away from a peril that he is now facing once again at his new destination.

Cousins is set to earn $45 million per year, after inking a $180 million deal for 4 years with the Falcons. However, the Falcons a few weeks later picked up Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft as the eighth overall pick. When Cousins was asked by the media whether he would’ve joined the Falcons had he known about their plans to draft a young QB, he replied (per NBC Sports):

“I don’t really deal in hypotheticals.”

However, as per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, one of the reasons for Kirk Cousins drifting away from the Minnesota Vikings after six seasons was the same. In Week 8, Cousins endured a season-ending injury, which left the Vikings without any top-drawer QB. The Vikings then went 3-6 in their next 9 games.

As per Seifert, the Vikings were prepared to hand a blockbuster deal to Cousins and he would have been their starter in 2024, possibly beyond. However, they also wanted to plan for their future by having a rookie QB under Cousins, but things did not pan out. Cousins left and the Vikings drafted rookie JJ McCarthy. With the draft of Penix Jr., Cousins now finds himself in the same situation he wanted to avoid.

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Kirk Cousins has a lot to prove in Atlanta

Justin Jefferson recently hinted at Cousins’ displeasure with the workings of the Vikings. Jefferson also pointed out that the move was ‘business’ for Kirk Cousins. However, former Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton is still not sure about the entire deal.

“I’m not convinced that that’s his team yet. He didn’t really do that [win consistently] in Minnesota”, said Newton on his "4th and 1" podcast.

Kirk Cousins has recovered from his Achilles injury, but he will look to put a stamp on his move and lucrative deal this season. The Falcons begin their mandatory full training camp on July 25 and will participate in two joint training sessions with the Miami Dolphins on August 6 & 7.