Cousins delivers video goodbye to Minnesota
Quarterback Kirk Cousins recorded a video farewell to Minnesota after officially signing a fouryear, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday afternoon.
Cousins agreed to the contract on Monday, choosing Atlanta’s offer — with a reported guarantee of $100 million for the 35-year-old coming back from a torn right Achilles — over a similar deal from the Vikings.
“Today’s a little bit of a bittersweet day for me. I’m in Atlanta now and a little later today I’m going to be signing a contract with the Falcons to officialize the agreement we made,” Cousins said. “But that also means I’ve got to say goodbye to Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings. That’s what makes today tough.”
Cousins offered direct thanks to “tremendous teammates, coaches, support staff, management and ownership of the Minnesota Vikings for the way they’ve come along side me and supported me . ... I had great people around me. I don’t take that for granted. It was a privilege to be quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings.
“I’d also just like to say thank you to the people in Minnesota, the people in the Twin Cities and the people we did life with on a daily basis.”
Cousins jumps into the QB1 role with the Falcons, who hired Raheem Morris
as head coach to run a form of the same offense the Vikings ran the past two seasons under head coach Kevin O’Connell.
The Vikings agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with Sam Darnold to fill the spot Cousins vacated.
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49ers: San Francisco is signing former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Eric Kendricks and acquiring defensive tackle Maliek Collins from the
Houston Texans, according to multiple reports.
The 49ers are sending the Texans a 2024 seventhround pick, per the reports. Financial terms were not disclosed for Kendricks, who recorded 117 tackles in 15 games (14 starts) last season before being released by the Chargers on March 5. Los Angeles saved $6.5 million with the release of Kendricks, who signed a twoyear, $13.25 million contract prior to the 2023 season.
Eagles: Philadelphia and All-Pro kicker Jake Elliott agreed to a fouryear contract extension through the 2028 season. While the team announced the extension on Wednesday, no financial details were disclosed. ESPN valued the deal at $24 million, which at $6 million per year would tie
Elliott with Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for the highest-paid kicker in NFL history.
Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield weighed multiple options and soon realized Tampa was “home,” leading to his decision to pass on free agency and sign a threeyear deal to return to the Buccaneers. Mayfield, who turns 29 in April, had options to leave but wouldn’t confirm reports the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots put offers in front of the former No. 1 draft pick.
Raiders: Las Vegas has moved on from veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after one season and likely are to release him, The Athletic reported. Garoppolo, 32, signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract, with $45 million of it guaranteed, last March.
Chargers: Los Angeles is releasing receiver Mike Williams after seven seasons, ESPN reported.
Parting ways with the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft will save the team $20 million against the cap. Williams, 29, will enter free agency coming off a 2023 season that ended with a torn left ACL in Week 3.
Ravens: Running back Derrick Henry is set to join Lamar Jackson in Baltimore’s backfield.
A two-year, $16 million deal that can be worth up to $20 million, per reports, brings a clear-cut lead back to Baltimore.
Henry, 30, was named to his fourth Pro Bowl in five years after leading the NFL in carries (280) in 17 games last season with the Titans. He rushed for
1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns -- his fifth season of more than 1,000 yards, including 2,027 in 2020 when he was named a first-team All-Pro.
Henry will join two-time NFL MVP Jackson on a team that led the league with 2,661 yards rushing last season.