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It wasn't long ago that Kirk Cousins was the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback, and a very good one at that.
Cousins was rolling with 18 touchdowns in less than eight full games when he went down with a torn Achilles in 2023. As it turned out, that would be his final snap in purple and white. The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy as his long-term successor, and McCarthy is now getting the chance to fulfill that role after an injury sidelined him in year one.
What prompted Cousins and the Vikings to move in different directions after the 2023 season?
Here's what you need to know about Cousins' departure from Minnesota for Atlanta.
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Why did Kirk Cousins leave the Vikings?
Many still expected Cousins to return to the Vikings after his Achilles tear in 2023, but it became apparent in the days leading up to free agency that the veteran at least wanted to explore his options.
Cousins did so rather quickly. Just a short while after the legal tampering period opened, he agreed to a four-year, $180 million deal in 2024 with the Atlanta Falcons, giving Atlanta some stability at quarterback before the team decided to select Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cousins later revealed that he left the Vikings because he no longer felt the franchise was committed to him long-term. "I think in Minnesota, it was trending over the last couple offseasons to being somewhat year-to-year," Cousins told reporters. "As we talked with Atlanta, it felt like this was a place where, if I play at the level I expect to play, that I can retire a Falcon. That was something that really excited me and that's certainly the goal."
At the time Cousins signed with the Falcons, there was no doubt he would be the team's starter. The money, $45 million per year, made it seem as though there would not be any competition brought in for Cousins as long as he performed at the level Atlanta expected.
That was not the way it panned out, as the Falcons shocked the NFL by selecting Penix with the No. 8 overall pick the following month. While Cousins wasn't forced to compete with Penix, the presence of a high first-round pick on the bench put pressure on him to perform. When Cousins' season started to go awry in 2024 -- which he now says was the result of an injured arm -- he was benched for Penix.
Cousins is still making significant money in Atlanta, but he didn't get the opportunity to start more than part of one season. Had he stayed with the Vikings, one has to wonder whether Minnesota would have still selected McCarthy and prepared for life after Cousins the same way the Falcons did by selecting Penix.
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Kirk Cousins career timeline
2012-17: Washington Commanders
Cousins was part of another unusual quarterback dynamic during his early years with Washington, which drafted him out of Michigan State in the fourth round in 2012.
Some questioned why Washington drafted a second quarterback after using the No. 2 pick on Robert Griffin III, but Cousins turned out to be critical insurance behind Griffin in the years that followed. After taking over as Washington's full-time starter in 2015, Cousins caught fire midseason and led the franchise to a surprise NFC East title. He spent two more seasons in Washington, playing on the franchise tag in both 2016 and 2017, earning one Pro Bowl selection before getting the chance to test free agency in 2018.
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2018-23: Minnesota Vikings
Cousins joined the Vikings on a fully-guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract after hitting the open market in 2018.
While Cousins' six-year tenure in Minnesota was up-and-down in terms of wins, he remained one of the NFL's better statistical quarterbacks with 171 touchdowns and 55 interceptions over 88 games. Cousins took the Vikings to the playoffs twice, upsetting the Saints in the 2019 wild-card round before suffering a wild-card loss to the Giants three years later.
Cousins' time in Minnesota included four 4,000-yard seasons and three Pro Bowl selections.
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2024-25: Atlanta Falcons
After deciding to test the market as a free agent for the second time in his career, Cousins inked a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in 2024. The narrative surrounding Cousins changed when the franchise drafted Penix, suddenly putting the veteran's job at risk if he struggled, and those fears from Cousins' camp were realized when he was replaced by Penix late in the 2024 season.
The Falcons insisted on keeping Cousins as a backup in 2025. While Cousins made it clear he preferred to be a starter, he never outright demanded a trade and entered the season behind Penix.
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Kirk Cousins contract
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in 2024. The deal includes $100 million in guarantees and runs through 2027; Cousins' cap hit for 2025 is $40 million.
The Falcons can save $12.5 million by cutting Cousins before the 2026 season, but they would still remain on the hook for a hefty cap hit. Cousins will be 38 years old by the start of the 2026 season.
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