Getty Quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
Discussions about whether the Minnesota Vikings made the right call in replacing Kirk Cousins with J.J. McCarthy are liable to continue for two or three years, but what about whether the Atlanta Falcons made the right move in signing the QB away from Minnesota?
The Falcons casted doubt on their franchise-altering decision just weeks after making it when they surprised most of the sports universe by reaching for former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th pick in the NFL draft.
With that context in mind, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted that Atlanta is “likely to regret” the $180 million deal ($100 million guaranteed) to which the organization signed Cousins this offseason.
“They oddly spent a top-10 pick on Cousins’ eventual successor rather than adding more support for him, and Cousins is far from a lock to lead them to success,” Gagnon wrote. “Fresh off an Achilles injury heading into his age-36 season, he’s been part of only one playoff victory in his NFL career.”
Kirk Cousins Left Vikings, in Part, Due to Minnesota’s Plans to Draft Rookie QB
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons may not be the only side that ends up with regrets.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported after the draft that one of the primary reasons Cousins chose to depart Minnesota was because the Vikings informed him of their plans to select a quarterback in the first round. Reporters asked Cousins about his reaction to the Falcons doing exactly that after signing him to a four-year contract the month before.
Specifically, media members on May 14 inquired as to whether he would make the same decision to come to Atlanta knowing that Penix would be arriving on his heels.
“I don’t really deal in hypotheticals,” Cousins said, per NFL.com. “We could go down that path for a long time in a lot of ways, and it just doesn’t do us any good. I’m excited for this opportunity. I think it’s a real privilege to be a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and I’m trying to make good on the opportunity that they’ve given me with the way I work each day.”
Cousins’ answer after a couple of weeks to process was mildly incongruent with his reaction in the immediate aftermath of the Falcons’ surprise draft day move.
“The Falcons called Kirk Cousins when they were on the clock to let him know,” Dianna Russini reported. “From what I learned, Cousins understood a QB would be considered, but he did not believe his successor would be taken in the first round. I’m told he’s a bit stunned.”
NFL Penalized Falcons for Improper Recruitment of Kirk Cousins
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins cost Atlanta more than just $180 million due to a recruitment strategy that the league deemed inappropriate.
The NFL penalized the Falcons for tampering during their courtship of Cousins, docking the team a 2025 fifth-round pick and slapping them with a $250,000 fine. The league office also fined general manager Terry Fontenot a sum of $50,000.
“After Cousins … signed to a four-year deal worth up to $180 million on the first official day of free agency, he indicated during his introductory news conference that he spoke with the Falcons’ head trainer before 4 p.m. ET on March 13, when the new league year began,” Marc Raimondi and Tim McManus of ESPN reported on June 13.