Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, at 35 years old, inked a lucrative new deal on Wednesday, the official start of the NFL league year, to join the Atlanta Falcons for a fresh start. The massive contract reportedly reaches $180 million over four years with $100 million guaranteed, pending the standard team physical.

Cousins, recovering from a torn right Achilles (his throwing foot), confirmed his presence in Atlanta earlier on Wednesday and expressed confidence in a full recovery by training camp. He might not even need a significant adjustment period in Atlanta’s offensive scheme, considering Coordinator Zac Robinson’s system stems from the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay model. Notably, Cousins was progressing well with a similar offensive scheme under McVay disciple Kevin O’Connell with the Vikings last year. Cousins spent the last six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, accumulating career stats of 39,471 passing yards, 270 touchdowns, and 110 interceptions.

Another significant development for the Falcons on Wednesday involved acquiring the 79th overall pick in the 2024 draft from the Jacksonville Jaguars. This completes the trade for wide receiver Calvin Ridley. With this acquisition, Atlanta now boasts four picks within the top 79 selections (8th, 43rd, 74th, and 79th).

In a video message earlier in the day, Cousins expressed mixed emotions about leaving the Vikings and Minnesota, calling it a “bittersweet day.” He’ll be stepping into a franchise with three consecutive seasons of seven wins, which ultimately led to a coaching change from Arthur Smith to Raheem Morris.

Smith struggled to find stability at quarterback throughout the previous season, cycling through Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinecke. Morris and Cousins, however, have a prior connection from their time within the Washington organization (2012-2014) when Morris served as defensive backs coach and Cousins was a backup to Robert Griffin III.