It was the Vikings Owners Who Pushed Kirk Cousins Out… and He Didn’t Like That
The Minnesota Vikings will play against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, in a matchup that will decide who won this offseason’s divorce between the Vikings and Kirk Cousins, after 8 years of a rocky marriage between two parties that never totally fit together.
But that didn’t make the split any easier. That much time together builds a sort of dependency that can make it difficult for either side to pull the relationship ripcord. The grass isn’t always greener, right?
Well, $100 million guaranteed ($180 million total) can buy a lot of sod, fertilizer and whatever else deemed necessary to spruce up a new backyard, no matter how brown and dead the grass might be.
But this isn’t the way Cousins wanted everything to go down. When Kirk said that he wanted to be in Minnesota forever, he meant it. Unfortunately for Kirk and his family, the Vikings ownership group did not feel the same way as he did. On Saturday morning, Dianna Russini (The Athletic) revealed that it was the Wilfs who made the ultimate decision on Cousins.
Minnesota Vikings owners cut the Kirk Cousins cord…
According to Russini, they wanted one of the young quarterbacks from a historic 2024 QB draft class, and they made as much clear to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. Thus, it was a one-year bridge deal offer for Kirk Cousins, and that “didn’t sit well” with the veteran QB.
Cousins was recovering from an Achilles injury — a challenge for any quarterback, especially one in his mid-30s. The Vikings had a decision to make. O’Connell believed in Cousins and was confident he could bounce back and continue as the starter, but not everyone in the organization shared that optimism.
The team also had its eyes on the future, knowing the upcoming draft class was loaded with quarterback talent. Ownership was clear: They wanted to draft a young QB. That news didn’t sit well with Cousins, who had been hoping for a vote of confidence, not a smaller window with the Vikings.
Dianna Russini – The Athletic
As we now know, Cousins signed with the Falcons and took his talents to Atlanta. Days later, the Minnesota Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal, for a clearance price of $10 million. Since then, the tables have turned in Minnesota’s favor.
Related: Top 10 Most Defining Moments of Kirk Cousins Career with the Minnesota Vikings
Under the coaching of Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown and the rest of the offensive staff, Darnold has rejuvenated his career from a former 1st round bust, to legitimate NFL starter. He’s led the 10-2 Vikings on a five-game winning streak, entering Sunday’s reunion matchup vs Kirk’s Falcons, who are 6-6 and losers of three-straight.
Atlanta Falcons “swooped in” and Wilf Family waved goodbye
But even after the Wilfs made it clear to Kirk Cousins that they were ready to move on, he still felt like he’d be the quarterback in Minnesota for at least one more season. So did O’Connell.
But when Atlanta “swooped in” with a multi-year offer that blew the Vikings’ out of the water, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — with the Wilfs standing behind him — didn’t budge. Instead, they all waved goodbye together.
Still, as decision day in March drew closer, Cousins was optimistic it would work out and Minnesota would step up. He and O’Connell were staying in touch and both were hoping the team’s offer would be sufficient. At the same time, rumblings of interest from the Falcons grew louder. Rumors were swirling that, with a strong roster already in place, Atlanta was willing to give multiple years of guaranteed money to land a seasoned quarterback.
When the legal tampering period opened, the Falcons swooped in with a four-year, $180 million deal, $100 million guaranteed. It was the kind of contract that said, “You’re our guy.” As for the Vikings, they didn’t budge when it came to that kind of guaranteed money.
Dianna Russini – The Athletic
Months later, 27-year-old Sam Darnold is taking the Twin Cities by storm. He’s enjoying his best season ever (67.6% CMP, 2,952 YDS, 23 TD, 10 INT). Meanwhile, down in Atlanta, Kirk is having his worst season since 2014, before he became the full-time starter in Washington. That season, he played 6 games, throwing for 1,710 pass yards, 10 TD, 9 INT.
In 2024, the 36-year-old quarterback has thrown for an impressive 3,052 yards and his 67.4% completion is on par with his 67.0% career mark. But Kirk Cousins is also throwing games away (17 TD, 13 INT) at a pace we never saw while he was in Minnesota.
Related: Final Minnesota Vikings Injury Report for Week 14 is Full…
In fact, Kirko Chainz only needs one more interception to tie his career high (14) for a season, which he set in 2022 with the Vikings, when he threw 29 TDs and 14 INTs. All this as a large part of the Falcons’ fanbase is now calling for Kirk to be replaced by rookie QB Michael Penix, who Atlanta surprisingly drafted No. 7 overall, just two months after inking Cousins.
Remember, the NFC South is not very good, so the Falcons are still very much in the playoff conversation. Could falling to 6-7 vs his old team be the final straw for our old QB, in the ATL? Hopefully, we are about to find out.
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