Kirk Cousins makes major admission about leaving Vikings, takes subtle shot at Falcons

In recent months, the relationship between Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons hasn’t been the smoothest. Despite that, the veteran quarterback remains part of the franchise, though uncertainty surrounds his future. The former Minnesota Viking is well aware that he’s currently behind Michael Penix Jr. on the depth chart — a significant detail since his arrival to the team.

Cousins is one of the main figures in the latest Netflix series Quarterback, and it was there that the talented QB made a significant revelation about his departure from the NFC North to join Raheem Morris’s team.

His hopes of becoming the undisputed leader of the Falcons quickly faded after the franchise made an early move to select a talented quarterback out of college: Michael Penix Jr. That decision was not well received by Cousins.

“I ended up signing with Atlanta and was pretty excited about the chance to get down there and start fresh. And then, I was pretty surprised when the NFL draft happened,“ Cousins said.

Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins #18 and Michael Penix Jr. #9 of the Atlanta Falcons look on during OTA offseason workouts at the Atlanta Falcons training facility on May 14, 2024 in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

“I wasn’t expecting us to take a quarterback so high. At the time, it felt like I had been a little bit misled, or certainly if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision. I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback that high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything. It’s all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.”

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His departure from the Vikings

Five seasons wearing the colors of the Minnesota Vikings were enough for Kirk Cousins to find his place in the NFL. But as with all things, his journey with the franchise seemed to come to an end — even if he didn’t fully agree with that decision.

“I didn’t want to leave Minnesota,” he said. “There was nothing about anywhere that made me want to leave Minnesota. We wanted to be in Minnesota, but it became clear that we were gonna be there year to year. And that’s what we didn’t want. At that point, we said, ‘We need to look elsewhere. If that’s our only option, then we’ll be back.’

“And when we said, ‘Well, we looked around and there’s an opportunity that’d be a longer commitment. Would you be interested in giving us that longer commitment?’ They said, ‘Nope, we’re good with our offer.’ And I said, “OK, you made my decision really easy.'”