The leverage of free agency in his prime brought Kirk Cousins the market-setting contract with Minnesota.
Now the Vikings have their latest franchise quarterback to try to secure that elusive first Super Bowl victory with.
The Vikings wrapped up their welcome party with an $84 million
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prospect to finally stabilize a critical position that’s been infamously
problematic.
”The contract, it is what it is,” Cousins said. ”But what my wife and I are thrilled about is the organization we are walking into.”
The money for Cousins is fully guaranteed, the largest such figure in NFL history, at least until the next mega quarterback contract comes along,
according to figures tracked by the pro sports financial website spotrac.com .
His annual average of $28 million is also, for now, the biggest in the
league
Cheap Marcus Davenport Jersey , at least until the next mega quarterback contract comes along.
Team owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf were willing to approve the investment, hopeful that Cousins can be the keystone to a championship squad.
”If anybody in this city or this state has a question about their commitment, I think this contract shows that they’re all in,” Cousins said. ”It’s a
tremendous amount of belief in me as a person and as a player, and I’m humbled
and honored to get the OK on that.”
The guarantee of the full value of the deal is unprecedented in the NFL, where a variety of complex factors have kept players from receiving sure-thing
contracts like their professional baseball, basketball and hockey peers.
His agent, Mike McCartney, began talking to Cousins about the potential for such a groundbreaking deal more than two years ago with the assumption he’d
eventually arrive at free agency because of the noncommittal Redskins.
”There’s nothing I can pave unless people come after me
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headquarters. ”I guess history will probably write that.”
Cousins will represent the fourth primary quarterback the Vikings have had in as many seasons. As long as he stays healthy throughout the summer, Cousins will
also represent the eighth starting quarterback for a season opener in the past
nine years.
Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum all became free agents this week and signed with other teams, so the Vikings didn’t have much of a backup
plan if Cousins balked at their offer.
But as a team with a star-laden defense and plenty of dynamic skill-position players on offense that reached the NFC championship game last season, the
Vikings also represented quite the destination for Cousins.
”I came here because of the chance to win,” he said. ”I felt like it was probably the best chance.”
Cousins started 57 games over his six seasons with Washington, which drafted him in the fourth round in 2012 behind second overall draft pick Robert Griffin
III. RG3’s star faded quickly, though, and Cousins
Cheap Su'a Cravens Jersey , who was lightly recruited out of Holland Christian High School before landing at Michigan State, worked his way up the
depth chart. He topped 4,000 passing yards over each of the past three
years.
The Redskins appeared in only one postseason game with Cousins at the helm, and his career record as a starter is just 26-30-1. Rarely does a rising
quarterback reach free agency before turning 30, though, so after playing for
about $20 million in 2016 and about $24 million in 2017 on consecutive franchise
tags with Washington, Cousins reached his opportunity to truly cash in after the
Redskins acquired Alex Smith in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
”He bet on himself several times and won, and those things are really important to me,” coach Mike Zimmer said. ”He’s always played with a chip on his
shoulder. We’re just really excited to have him.”
Realizing he was headed for the open market
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visit, the Smith deal went down. Upon phoning home to his wife, Julie, he gave a
glowing scouting report of the region.
”This is a lifetime deal. That’s the goal,” Cousins said. ”Yes, it’s a three-year deal, but the expectation from both sides is that we raise our kids
here and if everything goes as planned, we’re here for a long time.”
The Vikings began the day $50 million under their salary cap , according to NFL Players Association data
Robin Yount Jersey , and the deal with Cousins will take up almost half of that with the prospect of expensive extensions looming in the coming year for
players such as linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks and wide receiver
Stefon Diggs.
They still have space to make more improvements this month, though and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was already at the new facility on Thursday
for a visit. Richardson, a first-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2013
draft, was traded to the Seattle Seahawks prior to last season.
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