EAGAN, Minn. — It's well known that the Vikings have been on the losing end of four Super Bowls, and it now appears they've come out on the short end of another contest:
The battle for Kirk Cousins.
Agent Mike McCartney posted on X (Twitter) Monday afternoon, announcing that Cousins has inked a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, long considered the Vikings top rival in the wrestling match over the veteran quarterback's services.
"Excited for @KirkCousins8 agreeing to a 4 year deal with the @AtlantaFalcons," McCartney wrote. Terms of the deal were not announced.
Shortly after McCartney's post, the Vikings confirmed the news in an email to media outlets.
“After significant and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to reach agreement on a contract that fits the short and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," wrote Vikings GM Kwese Adolfo-Mensa. "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.
"Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position. We are moving forward with plans that allow us to continue building a roster that can compete for a championship.”
The Falcons immediately targeted Cousins after missing out on the playoffs due in part to poor quarterback play, the same situation the Vikings faced after their signal caller suffered a season-ending tear to his Achilles.
Minnesota was in a tough financial spot with Cousins. They gambled, letting him play out the final year of his deal knowing the club was struggling mightily with salary cap issues and superstars WR Justin Jefferson and DE Danielle Hunter looking for new deals. NFL insiders speculated the Vikings would need to spend in the neighborhood of $40 million per year to have a chance of retaining him.
The portrait of a late bloomer, Cousins largely enjoyed the most effective performances of his career since the Vikings hired coach Kevin O'Connell in 2022. The Michigan native had a 103.8 passer rating in eight games for the Vikings last season which was the third-best in the league despite losing half a season.
Vikings GM Adolfo-Mensa and O'Connell were serious in their desire to continue with Cousins but given the team's cap situation and recent improvement by the three other teams in the NFC North. they a limit about how much — and for how long — they could guarantee an athlete who is 35 years old.
Cousins, for as much as he talked about wanting to finish his career with Minnesota, also made it clear he wanted to be valued with a commitment beyond a token year.
“It's not about the dollars, but what the dollars represent,” was how Cousins put it in an interview with reporters on Jan. 8.
Cousins is the consummate overachiever, coming from an afterthought college recruit to fourth-round draft pick to a quarterback who is currently 24th place on the NFL's all-time list in career passing yards (39,471). He thrived on the field while mastering the business side of the game with guidance from his agent Mike McCartney.
After playing on consecutive franchise tags for Washington in 2016 and 2017, Cousins cashed in as the rare starting quarterback to hit free agency in 2018 when the Vikings had salary cap space and a pressing need at the position. He negotiated the first fully guaranteed, multi-year contract in league history for a quarterback when he signed for $84 million.
In just the past eight seasons, Cousins has earned more than $228 million while winning just one playoff game, that coming during Minnesota's 2019 season.
The Vikings restructured Cousins' deal a year ago without giving him any new money, resulting in a $28.5 million salary cap hit in 2024.
Cousin's decision effectively made one for the Vikings, at least over the short term: The club will either sign a free-agent "gap" quarterback to take snaps for a season or two, select a rookie who is capable of immediately taking the keys to the offense in the 2024 NFL Draft... or both.
KARE 11 is following this developing story and will have the latest information as it becomes available.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more coverage of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist: