Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins felt 'misled' by Falcons: 'I had no reason to leave Minnesota'

Originally posted on Minnesota Vikings on SI
By Joe Nelson | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 9:37 AM ET

Kirk Cousins never would've left the Minnesota Vikings — even if he knew they were aiming for a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft — had he known the Atlanta Falcons were going to take a quarterback in the draft.

"At the time it felt like I had been a little bit misled or certainly if I had the information around free agency it certainly would've affected my decision," said Cousins, whose feelings were revealed with the release of Quarterback on Netflix.

"I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there, if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I've also learned in 12 years in this league that you're not entitled to anything. It's all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself."

Cousins is entering his second season with the Falcons, but whether he's on the roster by the time the season starts or somewhere else — perhaps Minnesota? — remains a mystery.

It's long been known that Cousins signed with Atlanta for the long-term extension, whereas he was looking at a year-to-year situation in Minnesota. He reiterated that the year-to-year offer from the Vikings is what made his decision to go to Atlanta rather easy.

"It became clear that we were going to be there year-to-year — and that's what we didn't want," Cousins said. "At that point, we said, 'Alright, we need to look elsewhere and if that's our only option, we'll be back.' And when we said, 'Well, we looked around and we found there's an opportunity that would be a longer commitment, would you be interested in giving us that longer commitment?' They said, 'Nope. We're good with our offer.' I said, 'OK, you made my decision really easy.'"

Cousins' first experience watching the Vikings as an outsider came during the preseason. He compared it to "seeing someone dating the person you used to date."

"Like, I used to throw to Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson and now someone else is enjoying doing that. That's interesting," Cousins joked.