Done in Washington, Cousins will take hikes with Vikes

Isaiah Spencer | Staff Writer

Former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million contract – fully guaranteed – with the Minnesota Vikings on March 15 to become the NFL’s highest-paid player, according to ESPN.

Cousins’ deal, which edged out San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s by $500,000, set the precedent for other quarterbacks to ask for fully guaranteed money.

Last season, the Vikings made it to the NFC Championship Game with Case Keenum leading them. Keenum signed with the Denver Broncos, the Arizona Cardinals opted for Sam Bradford and the New York Jets went with Teddy Bridgewater.

The Vikings have paved the way for Cousins to start immediately.

“We’d be here a long time if I was able to read off the grocery list of reasons why this is the right fit,” Cousins told NFL reporters. “For the sake of time, I’ll just say winning is what I said it’d be all about and it’s true. I came here because of a chance to win. I felt it was probably the best chance.”

Cousins, who played six seasons with Washington and started every game the past three seasons, still seeks his first playoff win.

“This is a lifetime deal,” Cousins said. “That’s the goal. … If everything goes as planned, we’ll be here a long, long time.”