The reason the Falcons were able to pry Kirk Cousins out of Minnesota is quite simple. They wanted him a helluva a lot more, and they made that clear by committing to him for four years and guaranteeing him $100 million.
Minnesota, on the other hand, was a lot more hesitant to make a multi-year commitment. They’ve evaluated Kirk Cousins on a year-to-year basis for a while now, unwilling to hand him a long-term contract. Cousins was good enough to make them relevant, but he never came close to getting them over the hump. After six years with the Vikings, it’s fair for them to wonder if it might be best to move on rather than hand a 35-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles a lucrative contract.
The Falcons, on the other hand, are desperate just to be relevant again. They have a young roster ready to complete and haven’t made the playoffs in six years. Sundays at the Benz have felt more like a church service than a football game. Arthur Blank had to do something to spark some life into his team, and general manager Terry Fontenot might be one more poor season away from filling out job applications.
The Falcons were the more desperate team, but they also took a look around the NFC and recognized that it’s a wide open race, and Kirk Cousins puts them right at the front of it. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported earlier in the week that Atlanta was willing to go as far as they needed in order to get a deal done. But what about the Vikings?
Russini added some clarity to that yesterday.
Essentially, the Falcons were willing to offer him an entire full year more guaranteed than the Vikings. With $100 million in guarantees, Atlanta is stuck with Cousins for at least two years. They also included some guarantees in year three, but they have a potential out. The Vikings were looking for that same out after just one season.
That was the difference, and the Falcons couldn’t be happier that Minnesota got cold feet. Because if they hadn’t landed Kirk Cousins, it would have been another year of quarterback purgatory in Atlanta.
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