Kirk Cousins Contract Excites NFL Fans About Falcons' Potential on Offense

The Atlanta Falcons are eyeing an NFC South crown with a new quarterback.

Kirk Cousins agreed to a new four-year deal with the Falcons on Monday, giving them a veteran answer under center after play at the position largely held them back during the 2023 campaign.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the deal will be for four years and $180 million and includes a $50 million signing bonus.

Given Cousins' status as one of the top free agents in this year's class, the deal drew plenty of reaction on social media:

Thoughts immediately turn toward Atlanta's list of offensive weapons that includes Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke were inconsistent at best last season, and neither looks like a long-term answer for the Falcons at signal-caller.

Enter Cousins, who is a four-time Pro Bowler with seven seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards on his resume. While an Achilles injury limited him to just eight games last season, he was on track to throw for more than 4,000 yards again prior to the setback with 2,331 yards through the air.

It is fair to be concerned given the significance of the injury for someone who will turn 36 years old in August, but the Falcons needed to do something at quarterback to take advantage of a wide-open NFC South.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the division the past two seasons with an 8-9 record and then a 9-8 record. Atlanta wasn't that far behind with a 7-10 mark in each of those campaigns, so even slight improvement under center can make the difference in a playoff run.

Cousins can provide just that.