Dale Zanine-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Kirk Cousins was the quarterback in Minnesota for six seasons. Recently, he decided to jump ship and head southward, trading in his horns for wings. He’ll be the Falcons’ QB for the next four seasons after agreeing to a four-year pact that promises to offer $180 million.
Or will he?
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Falcons stunningly sunk the No. 8 pick into Michael Penix Jr., a player who plays…quarterback. The word emerged shortly thereafter that Cousins was unaware of Atlanta’s desire to scoop up a young passer. Seemingly, there’s now an internal competitor who is soon to rise to the QB1 throne in Atlanta. Will Cousins really get his full four years?
Kirk Cousins and The Falcons’ QB Situation
Last offseason, Daniel Jones signed a four-year deal that promises to pay $160 million.
However, the Giants have an out after just a couple of seasons. In 2025, New York can move on from their young passer and his $41,605,000 cap charge. The decision will result in $22,210,000 in dead money but a savings of $19,395,000. So, not without some pain, but an option.
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to pass the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Similarly, the Falcons can move on from Cousins after the initial couple seasons.
First, though, consider what the cap hits look like for Cousins in Atlanta:
2024: $25,000,000
2025: $40,000,000
2026: $57,500,000
2027: $57,500,000
Initially, the cap charge is pretty manageable. Having just $25 million taken out of the cap in Year 1 is a good spot to be for the Falcons, a team with some excellent talent at other positions. Cousins is among the league’s better passers, so there’s good value in 2024.
Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) calls signals at the line against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Things start jumping in a hurry, though. A hefty $15 million gets added for 2025, bringing the total to $40 million. Cousins, though, won’t be cut at that time. Moving on from the veteran passer with a roster cut would result in a $65,000,000 dead cap charge.
So, that’s an easy no.
Where things get interesting — a.k.a. rubber meeting road — is in 2026 and 2027. Those seasons contain identical $57.5 million cap charges. At that time, Cousins is going to be pushing 40 — he turns 36 on August 19th — and he’s currently coming off of an Achilles tear. My best guess is that he’ll still be healthy and operating at a pretty high level since he works so hard and genuinely cares about his performance, but it’s hard to know with any certainty when the age gets so high. In the NFL, the 37-40 range is downright ancient.
Aug 26, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) reacts after a game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The real issue for Cousins, though, is that Atlanta will have the realistic option of moving on. A cut in 2026 would result in saving $32.5 million while seeing $25 million immobilized by dead cap. Things look even trickier in 2027. The Falcons would see a $12.5 million dead money charge but would have the benefit of seeing $45 million liberated.
In other words, Kirk Cousins is going to need to continue proving that he’s worth a huge investment down the road; the contract he signed leaves his team with the chance to pivot toward a young replacement.
In Week 8, Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles at Lambeau Field, ending his season and his Vikings career more broadly. Prior to the injury, he was playing excellent football. His 2023 finished with him completing a sizzling 69.5% of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
Expect him to play very well for the Falcons in 2024.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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Publish date : 2024-07-12 12:25:00
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