The quarterback position has been the biggest position of discussion for the Minnesota Vikings not just over the past year, but for the last decade since they drafted Teddy Bridgewater . The biggest discussions were always surrounding now Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
It was a tough offseason for many reasons, but definitely for Cousins. He won huge by signing a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million fully guaranteed contract. The idea was that Cousins would be the unquestioned guy at quarterback. Well, that lasted about six weeks, as the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. at eighth overall.
Kirk Cousins regrets leaving Minnesota Vikings
Once we saw the Falcons draft Penix, we knew that things wouldn't go well in Atlanta, especially after he got benched late in the season after a terrible performance against the Las Vegas Raiders.
With the debut of Netflix's "Quarterback" on Tuesday, we got to hear from Cousins about the decision to leave the Vikings, and it was one of regret.
“Certainly, if I had that information around free agency, it would’ve affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota, with how much we loved it there, if both teams were going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything — it’s all about earning your spot and proving yourself," Cousins shared.
"The information I had at the time, I made the best decision. You also know that if you sit down Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back. I remember reading Drew Brees' book back in 2010 when he first wrote it, how he made the point that he tried to never let his backup see the field -- even if it was somebody who was really no threat. He just felt like you should never do that. Doug Flutie taught him that."
Hindsight is always 20/20, but this coming from Cousins isn't much of a surprise. The Vikings would have been pretty good with Cousins in the fold, especially after they went 14-3 with Sam Darnold at quarterback.
As for the Vikings, they are better off. The discussions surrounding the fanbase have been much more healthy without having Cousins, and they now have a high-upside quarterback who is on a rookie-scale contract in J.J. McCarthy. He may have regrets, but the Vikings sure don't.
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