Getty Cam Newton (left) took issue with the contract the Falcons awarded Kirk Cousins (right) in 2024 free agency.
The Minnesota Vikings had their offer to re-sign Kirk Cousins blown out of the water by a four-year, $180 million deal from the Atlanta Falcons that has come under fire by former MVP quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton appeared on “Club Shay Shay” with Shannon Sharpe on April 9 and addressed a previous statement he made calling Cousins’ contract “alarming,” saying he’s happy for Cousins to secure a contract of that size but adding that the Falcons have mismanaged their finances.
“It ain’t even, I mean, [his new contract is] egregious, and I love the fact that [Cousins is] able to get that money, but what the Falcons paid Kirk Cousins, they could have [signed] Cam Newton, Justin Fields, and Michael Vick for that price,” Newton said.
Newton added that when he was looking for opportunities in the league, coming off more minor injuries than Cousins’ Achilles tear, his age was considered an issue. Meanwhile, the Falcons, who are under league investigation for tampering, were unconcerned with Cousins’ ability to throw despite the injury to his plant foot.
“[People said], ‘Cam’s getting old. He ain’t getting no younger. He 32 at the time. He coming off a shoulder injury, Lisfranc.’ Cool, all things that are not quote-unquote serious injuries. [They’re not] career-ending,” Newton said. “So now, [Cousins is] coming back, you are giving this person the money coming off of [a serious] injury. So, how am I supposed to feel? Because the same questions and the same concerns that you had with me, obviously you done overlooked that.
“And if you give Kirk Cousins my resume, he probably would’ve got more [money]. But I’m tripping. But I’m bitter. But I’m mad. [Actually], I’m not. I’m just exposing the truth. And it’s for you to digest it however you feel.”
Cam Newton Spotlight’s Falcons’ Confidence in Cousins, Signals Potential Tampering With Vikings QB
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.
While Newton’s critique of the Falcons has its blemishes, it does call attention to the extreme confidence the team had in offering Cousins a $45 million-a-year deal despite the severity of his injury.
During his opening news conference with the Falcons, Cousins indicated he spoke with the team trainer before free agency opened on March 13.
“When you get here and you look around and you think, boy, there’s great people here,” Cousins said on March 13, per ESPN. “And it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff, meeting, calling yesterday, calling our head athletic trainer and talking to our head of PR, I’m thinking we’ve got good people here.”
The NFL is investigating the matter, which could lead to Atlanta losing draft capital.
Vikings QB Future to Be Set Soon
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings’ decision to move on from Cousins came with the expectation they draft a blue-chip rookie quarterback to build around for the future.
Speculation continues to grow about who that quarterback will be with three weeks before the NFL Draft.
But whichever quarterback it is, they’ll land in the best situation of any quarterback in this year’s draft class considering the Vikings’ offensive personnel and Kevin O’Connell‘s acumen at the position.