Ahead of the start of NFL free agency, there was much speculation about a handful of veteran quarterbacks around the league and where they might land once things got underway this week, with teams being able to wheel and deal.
Arguably, the best quarterback available was Kirk Cousins, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, even though he was coming off an Achilles injury that ended what turned out to be his final season in the NFC North.
The one team that was determined to upgrade the quarterback position this NFL offseason was the Atlanta Falcons, who decided that Desmond Ridder was not the right man for the job under center.
That said, the Falcons were aggressive in their pursuit of Cousins and were able to get their man on Monday by agreeing to a lucrative four-year deal with the veteran quarterback, which will pay him $100 million guaranteed.
Although Cousins was linked to the Falcons the entire time, former NFL star Brandon Marshall thinks he made a mistake by leaving the Vikings, via I AM ATHLETE.
“Familiarity is like, it’s critical,” Marshall said to explain his reasoning.
Atlanta is cool, but Kirk Cousins should’ve stayed in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/hDybGWZTB3
— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) March 11, 2024
Unfortunately for Cousins, the Vikings weren’t going to offer that kind of money and frankly might not be a great football team moving forward, with superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson potentially being the only reason the veteran would stay in Minnesota.
As for Atlanta, the Falcons have a promising young squad with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, all of whom are players Cousins can help elevate to the next level while playing in a very winnable division in the NFC South.
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