Breaking down Kirk Cousins $180 million contract with Falcons

NFL: SEP 14 Vikings at Eagles

The Falcons came out of the gates swinging on the first day of the legal tampering period, agreeing in principle to a contract with Kirk Cousins.

Cousins, who is regarded as one of the best players of free agency this league has ever seen, cashed in for $180 million over four years with $100 of it guaranteed.

Now, for a 35-year-old, soon-to-be 36-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles injury, that seems like a steep price. However, it is the going rate for a competent signal caller in today’s league.

Moreover, circumstances matter. The Falcons, who are in desperate need of stability at the most important position in the sport, had the means to be aggressive in acquiring Cousins and so did the Vikings.

Atlanta didn’t take no for an answer and got their guy. Some fans think they overpaid while others don’t care and are happy to have Kirk Cousins in the building. Regardless of how you feel, fans should know the full story about what Cousins is being paid.

Details of his contract have been revealed, and they’re much more appealing than first thought to be. As always in the NFL, the initial contract figures aren’t as important as the actual structure of the deal.

In the latest episode of SportsTalkATL, Chase and I dig into the numbers — cap hits, ramifications if the Falcons move on, and more.

You can catch SportsTalkATL on The Fox 5 Local App every Monday-Friday from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET. Segments like the one below can also be found on our YouTube channel (@SportsTalkATL). 

Photo: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire

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