Atlanta Falcons are the ‘perfect spot’ for Kirk Cousins to get paid | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

Mike Florio and Chris Simms unpack Kirk Cousins’ “extremely bold move” to agree to a four-year deal with the Falcons and question how it’ll be structured given he’s not far removed from an Achilles tear. #NBCSports #ProFootballTalk #kirkcousins #atlantafalcons
» Watch Pro Football Talk live on Peacock weekdays 7a-9a: https://peacocktv.smart.link/v82e9dl56
» Subscribe to NFL on NBC: https://www.youtube.com/NFLonNBC?sub_confirmation=1
» Get the latest from Pro Football Talk: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/

NBC Sports Group serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. NBC Sports is an established leader in the sports media landscape with an unparalleled collection of sports properties that include the Olympics, NFL, Premier League, Big Ten, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, the Kentucky Derby, Tour de France, French Open, IndyCar and many more. Subscribe to our channel for the latest sporting news and highlights!

Mike Florio, creator of the industry-leading Profootballtalk.com, offers his NFL insight alongside regular guests, including former NFL athletes such as Chris Simms. Pro Football Talk informs and entertains with the most up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the topical NFL stories of the day.

Watch more from NFL on NBC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflonnbc
Visit NBC Sports: https://www.nbcsports.com
Find NBC Sports on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBCSports
Follow NBC Sports on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nbcsports
Follow NBC Sports on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbcsports/

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/sunday-night-football
https://nbcsports.com/motors/nascar
https://nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league

Atlanta Falcons are the ‘perfect spot’ for Kirk Cousins to get paid | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
https://www.youtube.com/NFLonNBC

And Atlanta was the perfect spot for him to get paid again because they’ve been a drift in no man’s land at the quarterback position since Matt Ryan started to dip and they were interested in Deshawn Watson a couple of years ago and then they weren’t interested in

Lamar Jackson now they realize we better get interested in a 35y old quarterback with one leg as you said yesterday so it all made sense and it all unfolded and it’s 180 million over four years although it looks like it’s a two-year commitment at 90 with another 10 that

Would be offset if he goes somewhere else if the if the Falcons decide after two years to move on but that that that’s that and the Vikings you know I go back to a year ago Chris it felt to me like the Vikings were from an organizational stpoint

Ready to finish the deal with Kirk Cousins move on and try to draft the guy yeah that becomes their future and that feels like exactly where they are I didn’t think that they should do it based on how he ultimately performed last year but that’s where they are well

I mean yeah I I don’t think they thought they were going to be there or they wanted to quite go there honestly I mean it’s where they are now and I I mean I obviously triggered you there because you just went psycho and you’re start of your monologue there I didn’t mean to

Disrespect you yesterday I was just trying to say that I didn’t know anybody in that Circle that knew that I didn’t know it’s where I just had other than me I don’t know anybody other than you you didn’t but you didn’t really tell me anything off off air or anything that

You thought like for sure so I I didn’t know I mean you you you you didn’t like you don’t always let me behind the curtain and be like hey I I got a real good feel here I I didn’t know that so I wasn’t sure I thought you were kind of

Riding the hunch maybe of the whole school thing and the we’re looking for a home thing too that was it you know usually with like that type of move yeah I start to hear from a few people like hey this is real this time it didn’t happen so damn I wasn’t trying to

Disrespect you there psycho I mean you didn’t have to blow up but either way listen I I didn’t blow listen I didn’t blow you want to see me blow up I’ll blow up well you were on the verge of it and then you were like wait I’m let me

Keep talking here but go ahead yes no it’s just we’re trying to trying to have an entertaining show when my wife was talking to Julie cousins after we interviewed Kirk and KJ Osborne at the Super Bowl and I walked over and said hello and listened to a couple of things

She had to say that’s when I developed the very intense pasta and meatballs feeling that this is done that’s when I kind of I kind you know when you one of the benefits of being old yeah you kind of been around a little bit you’ve talked to people in

Different states of their life while they’re going through stuff maybe you’ve gone through when you were their age and you kind of pick up on the cues of The Angst and the frustration because what do we have to do to get a fair contract from the Vikings not that she said it

That way right but that’s what she implying all the ingredients were there for them to go look and and and so and and the one thing that really that I really kept my mouth shut about Chris when and and I never verified that there were conversations with Kyle pittz about

Number eight that was a that you know some of the stuff I got yeah I made sure vetted confirmed people in the know yeah that’s going on yeah Schoolhouse yeah yeah yep yep yep um there was this other little bit about Kyle Pitts and Kirk Cousins already talking about who’s going to

Wear number eight and I just kind of blurted that out last week on McAfee’s show and and I I hadn’t verified it and and then Pitts comes out strong and says oh yall will make up anything it’s like you know Kyle you can’t you can’t you can’t say if that’s happening because

That’s the kind of thing if that gets out if he acknowledges that the NFL is going to be up there butt with a microscope for tampering because even though the NFL never enforces the tampering rules they it’s kind of like if you’re not dumb about it if you’re

Not blatant about it we’re not going to make a big deal about it but when you get blatant about it like the Dolphins were a couple of years ago with Shawn pton and Tom Brady and you know it kind of like known that and and they didn’t

Really do much by way of exercising discretion once that happens that’s when you’ve got to worry about the NFL coming down on you so he was never going to admit it he was never I’m not saying that it was true because I still never verified it at the time but now but now

It’s a thing who gets to keep number eight and he’s thinking about moving to 84 his college number at Florida and you know again the hay was out of the barn last week or the horse was out of the barn or something was out of the Barn uh

And uh tonight I’m going to go to the barn and have a few stiff drinks well yeah it’s I said it’s a bold move it really is you know for KT cousins it is I mean what a contract you know like you said it looks like it’s two years 90

Million we’ll go from there gets the extra 10 million on there to make it 100 million guarantee but uh yeah I’ll still stand by what I said yesterday as far as a football X’s and O’s thing to leave a place where you have one of the five

Best offensive play callers in the game and an offense that’s been rolling and has you know we okell I mean it’s rare to hear a head coach be is aggressively confident about their quarterback when he hasn’t like taken them to a Super Bowl or an NFC Championship game yet and

OK conell I mean two years in a row was I love KK cousins he’s incredible I want him to be a quarterback when we talk to him at the combine or anywhere else so that’s where to me it is an extremely bold Mill now you’re going to go to a

New place like we talked about yesterday a little on one leg not 100% not really probably going to be able to contribute to OTAs and practice that way right and of course it is just a new team in general with a firsttime play caller in Zach Robinson and him getting his feet

Underneath him so that’s where it’s both I’m not saying it can’t work you know I got uh I I think Atlanta is pretty well constructed football team I picked him to win the NFC South last year quarter back was the issue there’s no doubt about that but it’s still a bold move to

Leave like hey we got a nice little castle over here and we’ve been tearing it up and everything’s great and we’re we’re kicking butt on offense and you’re leading the charge to leave that and Justin Jefferson and all that I I still am amazed by it it I really am and he’s

Taking a risk but not financially that’s for sure but as far as on the field and how that works yeah there’s a little risk there but he’s obviously comfortable with it and feels comfortable with Raheem who he’s got history with from back in the Washington days and Shanahan and then Zack Robinson

Being under sha mcve he felt comfortable with him as well yeah and look if it goes really well this year for the Atlanta offense with Kirk Cousins what happens is next year there’s a chance there will be a new offensive coordinator just like what happened with the Buccaneers Dave

Canales comes in first time play caller it works well with Baker Mayfield now Canales is gone and he’s a head coach that was never going to happen to cousins in Minnesota oconnell was always going to be there and I thought that would be a draw that was when I first

Started to get Chris the inkling that maybe they weren’t going to just be okay thanks for the six years Kirk we’re moving on we’re breaking up with you see I always thought it was going to be we are breaking up with you not I am breaking up with the Viking when we

Talked to oconnell last year at the combine and away from the set but it wasn’t really off the record it wasn’t like he was telling us Secrets he was very effusive about the idea that this is the first time in years that Kirks got the same person in his ear pre snap

And he was very excited about that it was like that little kid enthusiasm it was oozing out of Kevin okono last year at the combine and that’s when I first started to think maybe they maybe maybe this isn’t you know competitive rebuild which is just a fancy way of let nature

Take its course which is a fancy way of we hope we stink which is a fancy way of we want to get Caleb Williams or one of the guys at the top of the draft and the problem is they had enough good last year that they’re at number 11 I mean

That’s where the plan kind of fell apart they’re not in position to get one of the top guys without moving up and one of the other planks in my argument last year was Justin Jefferson becomes the trade bait to get all the way up to the top of the draft if that’s something

That they really want to do now oconnell told us that’s not going to happen two weeks ago in Indie but you know what Chris he’s not calling the shots he’s clearly not calling the shots or kurk cousins would be there and and it makes me wonder about the power dynamics it

Makes me wonder about like is everyone on the same page it makes me wonder how long qua doam Mena and Kevin oconnell are going to be able to coexist is somebody going to make a power play behind the scenes is going to decide you know what I’m out of here too I’ll let

My contract expire and I’ll go somewhere else and be a head coach and I don’t want to be too Doom and Gloom because I think that okono was a guy that should be there over the Long Haul he’s proven enough to me over the first two years

That definely he he’s the guy for the job right but when when you start ripping away pieces that he thinks will help him do his job better it’s going to it’s going to frustrate him you know yeah Hey Hey Hey Kevin you’ve shown that you can kind of take any quarterback we

Find and get the most out of them uh keep doing it you know it’s like it’s not easy guys like you know it’s kind of you know my my my life’s a little easier when I got the same guy all the time instead of having to go oh let’s do this

Guy well let’s get this guy ready I mean circumstances required him to do it last year circumstances they couldn’t control now it’s their decision to thrust him into this Sam darnold and we’ll talk about that more in a second jiren Hall Nick Mullins whoever they draft and hope

For the best or maybe you know and again we’ll see who they get this year maybe they don’t get the guy they like and they continue the competitive rebuild for another year so that that’s the challenge where do you go from here we know where cousins is going hey one one

Last thing about cousins yeah before we turn the page on the Falcon side of it I wonder how the contract is going to look as it relates to his physical and I think back to the Jimmy G thing from last year right with the Raiders how he

Agreed to terms very quickly and then it was time for the physical and it’s like man your foot’s messed up and they reworked the contract and he was in danger of not getting a penny from the Raiders if he wasn’t good to go when the season rolled around I I

Mean how do you how do you pass a physical right now if you’re Kirk Cousins an NFL physical yeah not a you’re not going to die tomorrow physical how do you like how do they how do they account for the fact that he’s not all that far removed from Teran his

Achilles tendon right how do they protect themselves I I guess it’s about you know we’re going in the right direction things look proper here right I mean I’m guessing maybe they end up having a doctor that of course you know they they look at to be maybe outside

The Kirk Cousins camp or the guy who did the surgery to get a second look to tell them you know how that doctor gauges it you’re right it’s a little different to throw that type of money out there with a guy with this type of injury yeah it

It certainly is a little rare here there’s there’s no question you know so I I I’m guessing that’s how that’s going to go Mike you know right like there’s no way it’s going to be total pass like you’re saying he’s functional he’s obviously capable of dropping and

Jogging a little bit and things are progressing the right way but yeah I mean ready to play football run around cut in the pocket take off run do all that no I don’t think we’re there yet you’re right so I’m not sure exactly how that gets worked out

Mike it’s the biggest contract ever given to a guy coming off a serious injury and it’s something that kind of got lost in the shuffle yesterday we’ve just look we’ve assumed he’s going to get a big contract it’s the question of is it the Vikings is it the Falcons or

Is somebody else going to swoop in at the 11th Hour that we weren’t thinking about but the one thing that I think we do need to think about now is how will this physical go what will it mean how will the contract ultimately be structured and

This is one of the realities of the current system that allows negotiation but no this visit until Wednesday yeah he’s not allowed to go there he’s not allowed to go in the building not even allowed to set up a visit it’s such a weird system it’s what blew up on Brock

Osweiler and the Texans seven eight years ago when they work out a deal and they bring Osweiler to Houston after they work out the deal and you know I don’t I think from the get-go bill o’b was like what the hell are we doing here

With this guy so now I you’ve got people who already know Kirk Cousins and and you know I don’t think that’s the issue this is the Drew Brees type of issue like you know if the current system was in place back in 2006 it’s entirely possible the Dolphins would have had a

Deal in place with Drew Brees before he ever went to have a physical it’s possible now I don’t know that you would have done a deal with him with 25 studs in his shoulder but that’s the same idea you’re putting the cart before the horse 100% doing the deal before that you get

A chance to poke and prod and inspect the play we’re just two weeks removed from the ultimate poke and prod Fest of the scouting combine the the the Falcons are making this commitment blind to where Kirk Cousins currently is oh well they can look at scans they can get this

No you you’re not allowed to talk to the guy you can’t do anything at this point there’s nothing you can do other than negotiate that’s the weird that’s where that’s where I don’t that’s the the the fudging and finagling that I that I would question in my history of football

And knowing that I would think goes down a little here the situation right it’s got two his doctor whatever they sent the you know MRI the recent MRI he knows you know he he got his people as far as in Kirk Cousins Camp to reach out to

Somebody in Atlanta that’s in charge of the the the medical area for the Falcons football team and I would think yes there was some of that let alone I think the video was probably put out there just to soothe the Falcons brass and and get them feel comfortable get the fans

To feel comfortable around that but yeah Mike that’s definitely one where you know you talk about it all the time or illegal tampering or whatever you that that’s one where I think they they probably have a little bit more of a educated feel for how kurk cousins is

Doing in this rehab and where he’s at right now but see that’s what’s dangerous because if the unblinking red eye of the NFL ever decides to spin that way and and investig that’s when you start to have tangible digital Trail yeah I got you right that can’t be scrubbed away right

That’s why tampering at the scouting combine is is easy and rampant because it’s all face to face right it’s in person there’s no footprint when you start sending MRIs from Dr a to Dr B and Dr a is connected to cousins and Dr B is connected to the Falcons and then Dr B

Starts sending them to Terry fono Rich McCay whoever that’s when people start really taking a risk yeah and that’s why you can’t have the NFL pull the pin on a tampering investigation because you’re going to get nailed you’re going to get caught right you’re going to get busted

And hey and let’s let’s face it let’s face it I mean the Falcons have been busted a couple of times over the years they had a whole fake crowd noise thing that rich McKay got exiled from the competition committee over they they had the bejan Robinson thing they got whacked for

Messing with the injury report he was sick and they didn’t tell anybody and he barely played against the Buccaneers back in week seven I think it was so you know there’s reason for the NFL to at least be like hey guys don’t you know let we we we we usually turn a

Blind eye to all this crap but let’s not be a little let’s let’s not be blatant here so I’m I guess my point is to get to any level of comfort Chris they are taking a huge risk that there’s going to be a back end to this where somebody at

The at the league office says you know what they may have known too much before they committed to $100 million guaranteed I I I I hear you right I mean no doubt I don’t think the the NFL or 345 Park really is going to Care unless somebody cries foul

Right I think that’s basically or or or unless Kyle pittz said last week yeah we are talking about him wearing number eight right maybe if it was so blaten and in their face and throwing it at throwing it at them that way but yeah these are ones generally that you know

Again this is good news this is positive news the Falcons are happy you know we’re talking about this to start the show the NFL doesn’t want to put a damper in this right I mean usually this happens because it starts to be wait we can’t avoid this people like Flor and

Sims have found out that this is going on Shawn Peyton and Brady were talking to the Dolphins let alone other things got thrown in their face and people start to cry foul there a little bit and then the NFL Force to do it I that’s where I just don’t see it happening that

Way but yeah you’re right about they better be careful the other thing too Mike that I just I find interesting you know you you talked about the coach in the GM relationship there that that that’s one where yeah this is the type of move that might start the fracture

Right I mean this is a huge huge moment for the Minnesota Vikings and of course Kevin oconnell Kevin okell’s going damn here I am in year three right year one was great year two I lose my quarterback teres is Achilles I’m excited about it year three well damn now I got to go

Back to year one basically process and kind of get my new quarterback up to speed with the rest of my offense and you know our team’s pretty damn good and we were good last year except for injuries and F fum btis and you know they had a good day in free agency

Yesterday that we’ll get to later right so that’s where that’s a huge blow to Kevin okono and the Vikings offense in the direction they were headed in and of course now yeah they’re kind of going into the uncharted waters of the unknown of you know hey we think Sam darnold’s

Real good right we liked them coming out of college we like the way he looked last year in preseason uh for the 49ers Shanahan you know we’ve heard through the gravine them and all that type of stuff but yeah they’re in a tough spot right here in a year where it kind of

Looked like hey maybe the Vikings will turn the corner here and and be a real pain in the butt in the NFC uh in 2024 and now it’s kind of back to oh well we don’t know we’ll see how Sam darnold comes along we’ll see what they do in

The draft we’ll see how this shakes out and that’s where it’s a big blow to to your football team and and I’m sure Kevin okono is feeling it today still and look we’re not trying to gratuitously stir up here but think about the things oconnell said to us

Just 14 days ago they were strong strong fully aware of the plan fully aware of the plan yeah right the plan is competitive rebuild the plan is and it made me think of the old maniki car commercial I’m not going to pay a lot for this Muffler the Vikings idea was

We’re not going to pay a lot for Kirk Cousins we’re not so oconnell knew all that and he was still Allin with keeping Kirk Cousins which meant hey maybe you have to pay more than you thought you were going to have to pay maybe we shouldn’t be so rigid maybe we shouldn’t

Be so stubborn maybe we shouldn’t be so inflexible and he he shot his shot it didn’t work and so yeah you wonder what kind of a ramification there is what consequences there how do you get everybody back on the same page moving forward because for oconnell to say what

He said the implication is maybe they aren’t on the same page yeah and if they’re not on the same page about the most important position on the field what else are they not on the same page about so that’s an issue and this gets back to the whole Steven Ross Miami

Dynamic where the owners don’t live in Minnesota the wils live in New Jersey how often are they there what goes on when they’re not there is everybody getting along the way they should is everybody saying you beta and being Minnesota nice to each other or is there something Brewing this is a

Tangible piece of evidence that we look at and say they may not be on the same page here and again if they’re not on the same page about this what else are they not on the same page about the statement that came out yesterday the

Other thing too like you know you got to be sensitive to your fan base and to the media and I know there’s something to be said for secrecy and keeping the cards close to the vest and being prepared for whatever may happen and not wanting to undermine your strategic objectives by

Running your mouth but you know the fact that oconnell was so strong on wanting to keep cousins creates confusion yeah for the fans what are we doing here what are we doing here want you yeah you made you made your fan base you’re paying customers wait until yesterday at 2:30 eastern

Time when they find out well there he goes gee thanks for the heads up Vikings so that’s another business issue that you need to be thinking about and these are great case studies for how to deal with these situations and how not to deal with these situations but I

Suspect there’s a lot of upset Vikings fans today that thought well how y were going to keep this guy yeah I I’m sure for a lot of the reasons I thought you know why would he want to leave our coach is saying they like him we got

Things going in the right direction damn before he hurt his ACL I mean his Achilles last year I mean it was kind of like oh watch out the Vikings look like they’re turning this around they’re about to get hot here I mean he was playing good football we know that so uh

I’m sure there are viking fans today that are in shock how could you not be I’m in shock I’m not even a Vikings fan I mean I I’m one that’s sitting here going oh this is kind of fun the dysfunction I’m I’m going to have fun

Watching Florio you know not sure how to handle this and what to think of the Vikings here going forward right but yeah it’s a it’s a it’s a it’s a a big a big day a big blow to the Vikings organization and you know on top of that

Right I mean like yeah you lose your quarterback you do that and Mike I’ll say yesterday I mean we talk about hey the offense is set and we got a a lot of good things and cousins and all that right I mean there’s two things that

Jump out to me here the first thing is is man it changes the draft Dynamic like you brought up earlier I mean them being at number 11 now makes them oh wait are they going to be in play for a quarterback here you know will you know

Will one of will quarterback number four in the NFL or whatever will he be on the board you know at at 11 or maybe quarterback number three do they have to trade up and make a move I mean so that all comes into play here uh of course

And the kir cousins things WIP wipes away too a good day in free agency for the Vikings I thought you guys had three of the kind of like under the radar okay not the star name right not the guy we’re going to pay 150 million to but

That like ooh this is a really good crop of guys they don’t maybe have the star power but oh they’re going to make this I mean Blake Cashman I mean he is a hell of a middle linebacker Andrew van GLE right a guy from Miami that Brian Flores

Drafted when he was down there or was a part of that organization when Flores was there he linebacker pass rusher and then Jonathan greenard greenard excuse me from Houston I mean he’s a hell of a player so you improved your team yesterday but nobody else is going to be

Able to look at that cuz it’s going to be like well I don’t know if we did improve our team cuz we lost our starting quarterback and what the hell are we going to look like and that that’s the fortunate part for the Vikings too hi it’s Mike Florio thanks

For watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro football talk