Kirk Cousins signs unprecedented contract with new team
Former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins has found a new home, and he may need to purchase some winter clothes.
On Tuesday, multiple outlets reported that Cousins had signed a 3-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
The deal, worth more than $80 million guaranteed, makes him the highest paid player in the NFL, as he will receive an annual salary of at least $28 million.
The annual value of the contract is marginally higher than the $27.5 million Jimmy Garoppolo will be getting from the San Francisco 49ers.
Though Garoppolo’s 5-year, $137.5 million deal has the potential to be worth more than Cousins’, the brand new Vikings quarterback’s contract includes more guaranteed cash.
According to NFL.com, Cousins will meet with Vikings coaches and other “essential personnel” over dinner on Wednesday.
He is expected to officially sign on Thursday.
Despite all signs indicating that Cousins will take his talents to Minnesota, his agent, Mike McCartney, denied that his client had made a decision.
“No final decisions have been made,” McCartney told ESPN on Tuesday.
“The plan is to visit Minnesota first. That’s all we can say right now,” he added.
Cousins, 29, could immediately make Minnesota a Super Bowl contender.
With Case Keenum under center last year, the Vikings made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Keenum, who is reportedly set to sign with the Denver Broncos, was solid last year, throwing for 3,547 yards with 22 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
But in his final season with the Redskins, Cousins was even better.
For the third consecutive year, he topped the 4,000-yard passing milestone. Overall, he threw for 4,093 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Cousins was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, but after several seasons of backing up Robert Griffin III, he became Washington’s full-time quarterback.
Despite his success, he was unable to agree to a long-term deal with the Redskins, who placed the franchise tag on him twice. Following the 2017 season, Cousins finally became a free agent.
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