Getty Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is poised to test the market with free agency less than two weeks away — and according to an Atlanta radio host, the Falcons are all-in on the veteran quarterback.
WSB TV’s Zach Klein reported on February 29 that Falcons owner Arthur Blank has pushed his front office’s efforts to focus on landing Cousins by any means necessary.
“All eyes, all arrows everything points towards Kirk Cousins,” Klein said on 92.9 The Game’s “Dukes and Bell” show. “Arthur Blank has basically told this front office, ‘Do what you got to do. Pay what you’ve got to pay. Get it done.’
“Everybody I’ve talked to, agents, other coaches and scouts… that is what they are saying. What they are hearing is that the Falcons will put all their attention on Kirk Cousins moving forward.”
Falcons Becoming a Realistic Destination for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
GettyKirk Cousins and Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in 2019.
Speculation tends to peak during this point of the NFL offseason, but Cousins’ connections and his fit with the Falcons are real.
Cousins, 36, is looking for the right fit for not only himself but his family as well. His wife, Julie, was born and raised in the Atlanta area, where her side of the family still resides.
The Falcons are also a sleeping giant with an offense loaded with promising young playmakers like running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London. The offensive line is also stout, finishing second in pass-blocking efficiency last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Blank, who is 81 years old, is eager to see the team he’s owned for over two decades finally make it over the hump and win a Super Bowl. There’s a sense of urgency given Blank’s age along with the Falcons’ being a half away from winning it all before their historic collapse from a 28-3 lead against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51.
First-year head coach Raheem Morris put out a referendum that Atlanta is ready to compete and all his team needs is the right quarterback.
“Go out there and find out who’s going to be the trigger man for us and put ourselves in a position to win,” Morris said on February 27 at the NFL combine, per ESPN.”And I’m not afraid to say that we have the ability, and we are capable to go out there and win next year if we do some of the right things, some of the right moves, we can do that.”
Meanwhile, the Vikings have a bounty of needs to fill through free agency and the draft and cannot afford to stock a championship roster in one cycle of free agency.
The NFL is all about timelines, and Atlanta seems to be on the up in a weak NFC South division. Meanwhile, the Vikings are reassessing their stance in an NFC North that is looking to be loaded in the next few years.
Vikings Maintain Their Interest in Re-Signing Kirk Cousins
GettyKirk Cousins and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.
While the news out of Atlanta confirms the Falcons’ interest in Cousins, the Vikings have maintained their desire to have him back at the right price.
Kevin O’Connell maintained his support for Cousins, while at the same time, moving forward with a contingency plan by scheduling meetings with the top three quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.
“I think the thing about free agency is, it’s not Kirk’s first time in free agency,” O’Connell said, per the Star Tribune. “Kirk Cousins knows how I feel about him; I’ve held no secrets there. He knows how the Minnesota Vikings feel about him. I believe Kirk wants to be a Viking. And we’re going to work to try to make that the outcome.
“My communication is always strong with him — weekly dialogue — and I feel like we’re heading toward a good place with Kirk. Like we’ve seen in free agency, the uncertainties from this time of year, you’ve gotta be ready to have contingency plans and adjust on the fly. But the starting point is, my feelings on him are pretty well known, and I know Kirk knows that.”