- Kirk Cousins became a free agent this offseason after a six-year career with the Minnesota Vikings.
- Cousins tore his Achilles tendon against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season.
- The Atlanta Falcons have the strongest betting odds of signing Kirk Cousins to a contract.
Free agent quarterback, Kirk Cousins, remains without a contract as NFL free agency approaches on March 13. Cousins, 35, is coming off his 12th season, and sixth with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. According to BetUS, the Atlanta Falcons are the most likely destination for Cousins.
Currently, Cousins has -250 odds of starting for the Falcons in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. At -250, Cousins has an implied probability of 71.4% to sign and play for the Falcons in 2024.
With Atlanta is in desperate need of a quarterback who can run the offense, Cousins would be an instant upgrade over Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. The Ridder experiment has hit the skids in Atlanta, and the organization is now searching for a proven commodity.
Cousins Coming Off Achilles Tendon Surgery
The team that signs Cousins will need to accept there are risks. They will be getting a 35-year-old veteran quarterback coming off Achilles tendon surgery. Cousins’ rehab is going well, with reports in January indicating that he is ahead of schedule.
“I am told he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from the Achilles,” per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s actually going to be throwing before the combine next month. So everything is tracking in a good direction for Kirk Cousins to be ready to roll for the Vikings — or whoever he might be with — in 2024.”
The Vikings, who have been in contract negotiations with Cousins, have been unable to get him to sign a new deal. If they really want him back, it will need to happen quickly. Minnesota will receive a $28.5 million dead-cap overlay if he doesn’t sign before March 13.
It all but appears guaranteed that the quarterback will be playing for a new team next season. Last offseason, Cousins restructured $20 million of his $30 million base salary for the 2023 season to reduce the cap hit to $20.25 million, rather than $36.26 million.
Falcons Could Make Cousins One of Richest QBs in the NFL
According to Spotrac’s calculations, Cousins is projected to be the 11th highest-paid player in the NFL under his new contract. Spotrac expects Cousins to sign for an average salary of $39,381,926 million per year.
The terms of the deal include a three-year contract worth $118,145,778. In comparison to Aaron Rodgers’ contract with the New York Jets, Cousins would earn more on this projected deal. Currently, Rodgers is on a three-year deal worth $112,500,000 in New York.
Cousins is reportedly looking to sign another fully guaranteed contract. In 2018, the quarterback’s $84 million contract was fully guaranteed with the Vikings. However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Vikings are not open to offering a fully guaranteed deal in the current contract negotiations.
If not Cousins, who are the other options for the Falcons? At +200, a rookie quarterback has the second-best odds of starting for the Falcons in Week 1. Justin Fields is a distant third at +500 odds.
The Falcons hold the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. With Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels all likely off the board, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy could be the best available option.
