Kirk Cousins ​​Explains Why He Left Vikings, and It’s Hard to Blame Him

Sure, there was more than one thing going into Kirk Cousins’ decision to join the Atlanta Falcons in his high-profile NFL free agency after six stellar seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Perhaps he wanted a fresh start, more money or a chance to play for his adopted hometown franchise. It remained Atlanta for him and his family this offseason, but a new twist in the reason why is odd.

Cousins ​​appeared on Shovel City and explained to former Missouri and NFL veteran quarterback Chase Daniel of The Athletic why he left the Vikings. Apparently, the Vikings were only interested in giving him one-year deals the rest of the way. Head coach Kevin O’Connell assured Cousins ​​that if he signed a one-year deal, Minnesota would not draft another quarterback.

While O’Connell advocated for flexibility in the team, Cousins ​​placed even more priority on one final, long-term commitment.

“I think the reality is they wanted to give themselves that flexibility. And I remember Kevin saying, which I’m not going to hold him to, was, ‘Hey, if we sign you back, I think it’s very unlikely that we’d draft anybody.’ It was something like that.”

He doesn’t blame O’Connell for the situation, but realizes that the situation can change in the blink of an eye.

“But I also know that things change in the league. So even if he says that, it’s not like I’m going to hold him to it. But his approach was, ‘I just don’t see us doing that when you’re back. You know, if you’re not back, then that’s what we’ve got to do.'”

Cousins ​​then signed a four-year deal with the Falcons. Shortly after, Atlanta used its 8th overall pick on former Washington star Michael Penix Jr. Two picks later, the Vikings moved up a spot to take former Michigan star JJ McCarthy at 10th overall. Cousins ​​may not have liked the idea of ​​seeing his replacement drafted, but he does seem to remember a situation earlier in his career.

Here’s the clip of Cousins ​​confiding in Daniel about the Vikings’ plans for a one-year deal.

Frankly, it was a slap in the face for the Vikings to consider the one-year option with Cousins.

As I mentioned earlier, this situation in Atlanta reminded me a bit of what Cousins ​​went through as a rookie in Washington. He was drafted in the fourth round out of Michigan State, days after Washington used the second overall pick on 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin II out of Baylor. Cousins ​​certainly recognized the similarities between himself and Atlanta, who later drafted Penix.

Even though it was painfully obvious the whole time, I appreciate Cousins’ alertness in all of this.

“It reminded me of 2012 when I got drafted as a fourth-round pick. I was a nobody. I was the 102nd pick. When the draft was over, one of the biggest storylines of the 2012 draft was Washington taking quarterback after quarterback.”

Maybe I’m reading between the lines, but I don’t think he wants Penix to go through what he did.

“It was interesting to come into rookie minicamp as a fourth-round pick and the narrative was like, ‘Why are you here?’ or ‘How do you feel about being here?’ And so there was a similar dynamic now, where it was again about drafting a quarterback in a way that surprised people.”

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini asks Cousins ​​why she’s in this strange situation again.

I may be biased because this is my favorite NFL team, but I have a strong feeling that Cousins, who is in his mid-30s and fresh off a career-threatening Achilles injury, is feeling his own mortality in football. He seems to have a better handle on the situation than most guys would if they were in his shoes. In a way, I think his familiarity with this strange situation is why Atlanta drafted Penix.

Atlanta was willing to give Cousins ​​the multi-year deal he craved, but understood the price you pay as a franchise when you don’t have a succession plan for a quarterback in his mid-30s. Why do you think the past two years of Falcons football have been so incredibly middle? Atlanta didn’t have a serious succession plan after Matt Ryan’s declining career. That’s why they drafted Penix.

The real news is that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah only wanted to give Cousins ​​a one-year contract.