When Kirk Cousins landed with the Minnesota Vikings, it was a record setting contract. 3-Years, $84 million fully guaranteed. Last night as the Vikings released Episode #1 of "NFL Life" on Vikings.com, we found out that that was chump change compared to what the Jets were offering him for his services.
The 14-minute video starts about a week and a half ahead of free agency kicking off and follows Kirk through the process of free agency.
After the Washington Redskins traded for quarterback Alex Smith during Super Bowl week, Cousins new that the market was set to be his. The assessment began for he and his team began as they looked for teams that needed quarterbacks the most. Near the top of the list were both the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets.
Rumors began to swirl of an other-worldly contract with fully guaranteed money that the Jets were set to offer. But the Vikings landed Kirk in the end. That doesn't mean that the Jets didn't make that giant offer.
Last night that was confirmed.
With a $25 million a year offer from the Minnesota Vikings on the table, Cousins got the eye-opening offer that he had been waiting for from the New York Jets.
"The Jets came up to $30 [million], fully guaranteed, three-year deal," Cousins told his wife Julie. “So now we have what we wanted.”
From there, it was up to Kirk's agent to use that offer from the Jets as leverage against the teams that maybe he had more of a desire to go play for...cough, cough...the Minnesota Vikings.
Cousins tactic paid off and the Vikings upped the offer from $25 million to $28 million a year guaranteed to play for a team where he believes he fits, he can compete and he can remain long-term.