The new league year in the National Football League (NFL) begins on Wednesday, but since Monday evening players whose contracts have expired have been allowed to negotiate with new teams. Just hours later it was clear: Kirk Cousins, quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, was moving to the Atlanta Falcons.
The 35-year-old will receive a four-year contract worth $180 million (around €164.5 million). This includes a $50 million bonus and a guaranteed $90 million in salary over the next two seasons and an additional $10 million in 2026. Officially, teams cannot sign their players until the start of the new season, but Cousins' agent Mike McCartney announced the change in advance on Monday evening. However, the contract cannot be signed until Wednesday.
The Vikings apparently tried to keep the 35-year-old until the end. "After an intensive and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to agree on a contract that meets both the short- and long-term expectations of Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," Vikings general manager Kwesi announced Adofo-Mensah in a statement. "Kirk holds a special place in Vikings history and we appreciate his leadership and contributions to the team and the Minneapolis-St. Paul community over the past six seasons. We wish him, his wife Julie and their children all the best ."
Cousins was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2012, but barely played in his first three seasons. In 2015 he replaced Robert Griffin III. and from then on became one of the best quarterbacks in the league. In 2018 he moved to the Minnesota Vikings, where he tore his Achilles tendon in the win over the Green Bay Packers on matchday 8 of last season and was out for the rest of the season. Without their star playmaker, the Vikings only won three of the remaining nine games and missed out on a place in the playoffs.
The Atlanta Falcons struggled to find adequate replacements after the departure of quarterback Matt Ryan, who was under contract there from 2008 to 2021. Marcus Mariota was initially signed to a two-year contract. That same offseason, the Falcons signed Desmond Ridder in the third round of the NFL Draft, the league's top talent pick. Mariota started this season, but Ridder finished it.
The Falcons parted ways with Mariota before the start of the 2023 season. In free agency, they signed Taylor Heinicke with the expectation that he would be Ridder's backup. Ridder started this season, but Heinicke ended it after Ridder was injured.
And the Vikings? They are reportedly set to sign Sam Darnold, who has been under contract with the San Francisco 49ers as a reserve quarterback since March 2023, to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million.
Watch the video above: Jakob Johnson plays in the NFL as a fullback for the Las Vegas Raiders. In the interview, he jokes about Taylor Swift's music and explains which songs he prefers to play to his American teammates instead. Sources: Associated Press, vikings.com, atlantafalcons.com, nfl.com
