MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 23: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after a 22-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 23, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Football fans are teeing off on the Atlanta Falcons for giving Kirk Cousins a $180 million deal when they could have landed an even better and much younger franchise quarterback last year.

The Falcons were announced as the winners of the Cousins sweepstakes on Monday, landing the four-time Pro Bowler on a four-year deal following an up-and-down six-year run with the Minnesota Vikings.

Cousins’ deal unquestionably comes with plenty of risks, though. He’ll be 36 years of age in 2024 and is coming off an Achilles tear that ended his season in October. And if you’re in the “wins are a QB stat” category, Cousins is barely above .500 for his career (76-67-2).

Many fans on X/Twitter ripped on the Falcons for giving a 36-year-old Cousins such a lucrative deal when they could have traded for Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson, who requested a trade last year before ultimately agreeing to an extension:

The Ravens and Jackson ultimately agreed on a five-year contract extension worth $260 million last offseason. The 27-year-old responded by winning his second MVP award, and by leading Baltimore to its first AFC Championship Game appearance in 11 years.

At any rate, the Falcons are clearly confident that Cousins is the guy who can help them end a seven-year playoff drought in 2024. If he stays healthy, Cousins just might go down as one of the best free agent signings in recent NFL memory.