Kirk Cousins’ latest jackpot contract has already moved the Atlanta Falcons’ new quarterback past Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees on unofficial all-time NFL earnings lists, thanks to a $50 million signing bonus.
Cousins’ $281 million career total and the $130 million remaining on his new four-year, $180 million contract puts him on pace to pass Tom Brady for third in 2025, behind Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford, per Over the Cap (Russell Wilson also could factor).
GO DEEPER
$100 million gamble on Kirk Cousins announces the Falcons are done being patient
It’s a remarkable achievement.
As a fourth-round draft choice in 2012, Cousins didn’t start earning big money until after playing out his four-year, $2.57 million rookie contract. While solid across 145 career starts with three teams, Cousins has long been considered better at the negotiating table than on the field. Until his career produces the playoff success upon which quarterback legacies are built, Cousins (1-3 record in the postseason) will remain the only longtime starting quarterback in NFL history best known for his bank account.
Cousins has ranked about 15th on average among veteran starting quarterbacks in eight appearances in my annual Quarterback Tiers surveys of coaches and executives. He ranked about eighth in average annual salary during those seasons. The ratio of his average Tiers ranking (15.4) to his average salary rank (8.1) equals 1.89-1. It’s the largest ratio among 52 quarterbacks with more than three Quarterback Tiers appearances, affirming Cousins’ reputation for maximizing his wallet.
The Kirk Cousins Index stacks the 10 quarterbacks with the highest ratios since Quarterback Tiers debuted in 2014 (minimum four appearances), offering additional perspective for each.
1. Kirk Cousins
Tiers appearances: 8
Average Tiers rank: 15.4
Average salary rank: 8.1
Tiers to salary ratio: 1.89-1
Cousins trails Rodgers, Stafford, Brady, Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson on the all-time career earnings list, counting fully guaranteed salaries owed to players in 2024, per Over the Cap. The totals in the table include large 2024 payouts for Cousins ($62.5 million, including the $50 million bonus), Wilson ($39 million, mostly owed by Denver), Rodgers ($38.2 million) and Stafford ($31 million). Team logos for players reflect their current or primary teams.
Career earnings, per Over the Cap
Rank | QB | New Total |
---|---|---|
1 | $381,692,206 | |
2 | $359,000,000 | |
3 | $317,619,794 | |
4 | $306,205,882 | |
5 | $305,340,123 | |
6 | $293,969,288 | |
7 | $273,933,000 | |
8 | $266,340,123 | |
9 | $247,714,000 | |
10 | $242,150,000 | |
11 | $232,490,000 | |
12 | $210,000,000 | |
13 | $195,050,979 |
Cousins is one of 36 quarterbacks with at least 50 starts since his QB Tiers debut in 2016. His teams have been much better on offense (13th out of 36 in EPA per start, per TruMedia) than on defense/special teams (28th of 36) while posting a 65-53-2 (.550) record in those starts.
The Washington Commanders are still searching for a long-term successor to Cousins six years after letting him leave in free agency. They rank 27th among the 32 NFL teams in offensive EPA per play since Cousins departed.
Is Cousins underrated?
If he returns to form coming off a torn Achilles suffered in October, he should be worth about 2.4 additional wins per season for the Falcons.
ESPN’s Total QBR metric allows us to make these calculations because, historically, a 50 QBR (out of 100 possible) will win half the games. Cousins’ average QBR in his past 17 starts (56.3) equates to 9.6 expected wins (with average defense/special teams) in a 17-game season, while the Falcons’ average QBR last season (42.2) equates to 7.2 expected wins.
Although Cousins deserves credit for landing fully guaranteed contracts in Minnesota, the practical impact might be overstated because teams rarely release productive starters. However, Cousins’ willingness to play on the franchise tag and sign short-term deals — eschewing the false security that comes with…
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