Kirk Cousins will be suiting up for the Atlanta Falcons as the quarterback agreed to a four-year, $180 million contract, which includes a $50 million signing bonus.
Cousins, 35, is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury he suffered in October. While Cousins has had some solid moments throughout his career, his age paired with his recent injury might have left some skeptical about the deal.
One of those people is Cam Newton, who suggests that Cousins isn’t worth the $180 million contract he just picked up.
Cam Newton Reacts to Kirk Cousins’ $180 Million Contract With Atlanta Falcons
Cam Newton had a harsh response to Atlanta paying Kirk Cousins a massive contract on the 4th & 1 podcast.
“It is extremely alarming that he only had one playoff win in 12 years. … he’s coming off of an injury,” Newton said. “It’s definitely alarming to see.”
So far in his career, Cousins has a 66.9% percentage with 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns, and 110 interceptions, along with 19 rushing touchdowns. He has a 76-67-2 record in the regular season, though just 1-3 in the postseason.
Newton said Cousins has “benefited from a lot of things going right” and “gets a pass on a lot of stuff … because he’s not a big personality.”
“We don’t see Kirk Cousins outside of football … It’s real quiet,” Newton said, adding that Cousins is a “safe” pick.
“I think the Atlanta Falcons were trying to go for a Matt Ryan,” Newton explained, saying he feels Cousins fits that bill.
When comparing Cousins to another quarterback who could have been an option for Atlanta — Chicago Bears’ Justin Fields — Newton says it is not about who has the highest ceiling or skill set, it’s about what they have already done.
He also suggested a different option the Falcons did not consider: “I can’t make it about me, but if I were to make it about me … I’m in Atlanta,” Newton said.
ESPN NFL insider Field Yates, on the other hand, believes Cousins was deserving of a huge pay raise.
“The internet loves nothing more than debating how good of a quarterback Kirk Cousins (for the record, I think he’s very good!). But no one can debate that my man is first ballot Hall of Famer in the world of football business. The dude stacks millions upon millions,” Yates said on X (formerly Twitter).
As huge and market-changing this deal is for Cousins, the $180 million isn’t the only number attached to the Falcons’ incoming QB1.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero outlined what else paints the picture of Cousins’ “monster payday” coming to his wallet.
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“Another monster payday for Cousins, who gets $100 guaranteed — $90 million in 2024 and ‘25, plus another $10 million in 2026 — and a fresh start in Atlanta at age 35,” Pelissero noted on X.
This is a significant jump from Cousins’ previous contract with the Vikings. He had previously signed a two-year, $66 million deal but had played on a one-year, $35 million deal last season.
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