The Atlanta Falcons have finally solved their franchise quarterback issues.
The club agreed to terms on a four-year deal with former Minnesota Vikings free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins on Monday according to his agent, Mike McCartney.
A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Cousins’ deal is worth $180 million ($45 million per season), including $100 million guaranteed.
Cousins joins an offense which includes several players who were taken in the first round. The Falcons have three first-round offensive linemen — left tackle Jake Matthews, right tackle Kaleb McGary and two-time Pro Bowler Chris Lindstrom at right guard. He also has Atlanta’s last three first-round picks — tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson — as skill position players with which to work.
Atlanta agreeing to terms with Cousins should put an end the team’s multiyear pursuit of finding a replacement for former NFL MVP Matt Ryan, whom the team traded to the Indianapolis Colts before the 2022 season after a failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson.
The Falcons then signed Marcus Mariota to be their starting quarterback and drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round of the 2022 draft. Mariota lasted 13 games as the starter before being benched for Ridder, who started the last four games of the 2022 season and entered 2023 as the team’s top quarterback.
Ridder was benched twice in 2023 in favor of backup Taylor Heinicke, but neither played well, with the Falcons eventually firing former head coach Arthur Smith and replacing him with Raheem Morris. In the news conference addressing Smith’s firing, team owner Arthur Blank called the quarterback play last season “deficient,” and vowed to solve the team’s issues at the position.
Ridder completed 64.2% of his passes last season for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and 12 fumbles. Heinicke completed 54.4% of his passes for 890 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.
Both Ridder and Heinicke are under contract for the 2024 season, but the Falcons can save $6.96 million against the cap if Heinicke is released and also would avoid paying him a $1.32 million roster bonus if he’s no longer with Atlanta on March 17.
Cousins, 35, was having one of his best seasons in 2023 and had been one of the NFL’s most durable quarterbacks before tearing his right Achilles tendon in Week 8 at Lambeau Field. At the time, he was tied for the NFL lead in passing touchdowns (18) and ranked second in passing yards (2,331).
Before the injury, he had started 136 of a possible 138 games since ascending to QB1 with the Washington Commanders in 2015. One of those two missed starts occurred when the Vikings were resting their starters for the playoffs in 2019, and the other came after a positive COVID-19 test in 2021.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection ranks fifth among active quarterbacks — and 24th all-time — with 39,471 passing yards in 12 NFL seasons. Cousins’ 270 touchdowns rank 20th all time, and he has 110 interceptions. He also has rushed for 958 yards and another 19 scores.