Kirk Cousins chose to sign with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason rather than returning to the Minnesota Vikings. There were likely several factors that went into the veteran quarterback’s decision, but one of them sticks out above the rest.
In his weekly column for Sports Illustrated that was published on Monday, Albert Breer shared a very interesting tidbit about the Cousins situation. The longtime NFL reporter said one of the reasons Cousins chose to sign with the Falcons is that the Vikings told Cousins they intended to draft a quarterback early in the first round. The Vikings were honest with Cousins in telling him they planned to draft their QB of the future even if Cousins re-signed with Minnesota.
Breer said Cousins appreciated that the Vikings were so up front with him.
The Falcons, of course, drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick. Cousins still got $100 million guaranteed over the next two seasons from Atlanta, but it is fair to wonder if he would have preferred to remain with the Vikings had he known the draft plans of the two teams were so similar.
Cousins was said to be “shocked” that Atlanta drafted Penix. The Falcons probably kept their plan under wraps so no other team would jump ahead of them to draft the former Washington star. Still, unless they were deliberately trying to deceive Cousins so they could sign him, they probably should have trusted the 35-year-old with their secret.
Even if the Falcons insist they are committed to Cousins as their starter, there is going to be a great deal of pressure on the veteran to perform with Penix waiting on the bench. Had Cousins known that would be the case, it is possible his free agency would have gone a lot differently.
