FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Four months ago, the Atlanta Falcons gave quarterback Kirk Cousins a pricy four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. The deal looks better by the day.
On Friday, a pair of NFL signal callers received four-year contracts, with the Miami Dolphins extending Tua Tagovailoa and the Green Bay Packers locking up Jordan Love.
Tagovailoa agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension that includes $167 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. His $53.1 million annual pay is fourth-most among NFL passers, while his guarantees place him No. 8.
Hours later, Love signed a four-year, $220 million deal with $155 million guaranteed and a record $75 million signing bonus, per ESPN. With an average annual pay of $55 million, Love is tied with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati Bengals passer Joe Burrow as the highest-paid player in the NFL.
The Falcons agreed to terms with Cousins on March 11, the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering window, and officially signed him March 13.
Now, Cousins is tied with Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes for the 11th-highest average annual pay at $45 million per year, according to Spotrac. Better yet, Cousins takes up only 17.6 percent of Atlanta’s salary cap, No. 16 among all signal callers.
There is, of course, a reason for the discrepancy in pay. Cousins turns 36 in August and is nine months from tearing his right Achilles. A return to prior form — and how long he’s able to sustain it — is not guaranteed.
Love and Tagovailoa, meanwhile, are 25 and 26, respectively. They’re leaders in the next generation of quarterbacks. Tagovailoa topped the NFL with 4,624 passing yards a season ago. Love ranked second league-wide with 32 passing touchdowns.
But not lost in the shuffle is that Cousins was playing at a high level — perhaps the highest of his career — before his Achilles injury. In eight games, he completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions.
For context, Atlanta’s quarterbacks — Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke and, for all of 10 snaps, Logan Woodside — combined to connect on 61.7 percent of their throws for 3,775 yards, 17 touchdowns and 17 interceptions a season ago.
New Falcons head coach Raheem Morris called Cousins a multiplier earlier this offseason, believing he not only directly improves quarterback play but elevates those around him.
Throughout the summer, Cousins has done exactly that. He brought receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts to Tampa for a visit with former NFL coach Jon Gruden. He’s watched film with All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III, giving the defense a fresh set of eyes. He’s a mentor to first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who he’s roommates with at training camp.
And for all of that, Atlanta is paying Cousins just outside of the top 10 in quarterback salaries. If he takes the Falcons where they expect he will — atop the NFC South and into the playoffs for the first time in six years — the deal will only look better.
Though it seemingly does each day and each new quarterback contract at a time.
