Hoping to Avoid Drama with Vikings, Kirk Cousins Finds It In Atlanta

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Left Minnesota Vikings hoping to avoid quarterback drama. He Didn’t.

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins respected, but didn't want to be involved with, the Minnesota Vikings' decision to draft a young signal. Now, he's in the same spot in Atlanta.

In a cruel twist of irony, new Cousins finds himself in the exact position he reportedly wanted to dodge with the Vikings.

This spring, when deciding between a free agency reunion with the Vikings or departing for the Falcons, Cousins weighed several factors — including the presence of a young signal caller.

“A reason he decided to leave Minnesota is because the Vikings were very up front with the 35-year-old about the possibility that, even in the case he stayed, they’d take a quarterback of the future high in the draft,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported.

“I know Cousins appreciated how open the Vikings were about their draft strategy, even if it meant him leaving.”

Minnesota did as it said it would do, selecting former Michigan signal caller J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 overall.

The Vikings’ decision came two picks after the Falcons stunned many — including Cousins — by drafting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., believing they’ve secured the position for both the present and future.

Falcons Podcast: Watch | Spotify | Apple Pods

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris have since stressed Cousins is their starter, and they’d be pleased if the four-time Pro Bowler starts for the entirety of his four-year, $180 million contract, because it likely means team success has followed.

It’s also worth noting, as Breer said, Minnesota wasn’t willing to fully guarantee Cousins’ contract in 2025, while Atlanta was. The Falcons will be giving Cousins some $90 million over the next two years, signaling at least a short-term commitment.

Still, Cousins felt blindsided. He knew the Falcons were pondering the idea of drafting a quarterback, but didn’t think they’d do so in the first round.

Atlanta’s braintrust called Cousins moments before turning in the draft card with Penix’s name on it. The Falcons wanted to keep their interest in Penix secretive, perhaps because Fontenot saw the Kansas City Chiefs snatch Patrick Mahomes from his grasp with the New Orleans Saints in 2017.

Nevertheless, Cousins left draft night stunned — and after leaving Minnesota with plans of avoiding the drama that follows when having a first-round quarterback in his shadow, he was suddenly thrust into precisely that scenario.

“It had to be a crappy call to take if you were Cousins, considering the basis of the decision you’d made six weeks earlier,” Breer writes. “It remains to be seen if that’ll lead to any sort of early fissure in the player-team relationship there. I think they’ll be able to get past it, because head coach Raheem Morris is a phenomenal relationship guy, and Cousins is an adult.

“But if there are early bumps in the season, this one will be interesting to watch.”

Cousins and Penix shared a phone call on draft night, one Penix said went well. Their official working relationship begins May 13, when Atlanta starts OTAs.

But for Cousins, the overall idea in which the relationship stems is one he didn’t wish to be a part of entering the spring.