Kirk Cousins reminds Vikings fans they're better off without him with first Falcons INT

The Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a multiyear contract worth approximately a zillion dollars (I'm rounding up, of course), only to draft another QB in the first round due to injury concerns surrounding their zillion-dollar quarterback. Yes, it makes sense to the Falcons front office, but just about everyone else was confused, to say the least.

Cousins is fresh off a season-ending injury, and because of that it'd be natural for him to get off to a less-than-hot start against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. Yes, the Falcons are better off with Cousins at QB than, say, Desmond Ridder -- but are they $180 million better? That remains to be seen.

In the first quarter against the Steelers, Cousins threw an interception to Pittsburgh safety DeShon Elliott. It should be noted that said interception was thrown into double coverage, which is expected in the Kirk Cousins experience.

Vikings fans are thrilled Kirk Cousins isn't their quarterback anymore

Cousins is far more talented than any quarterback on the Vikings roster, and this includes the rookie JJ McCarthy, who is out for the season in his own right. Sam Darnold is little more than a bridge quarterback, which Minnesota will use to their full advantage as they hope to land a top-10 draft pick come 2025.

Still, cap space is everything in the NFL, and the Vikings should have plenty of it in the years to come with McCarthy on a rookie contract. If Minnesota had spent its cap room on a long-term contract for Cousins, they'd be stuck with a middling quarterback coming off injury who could (at best) take them to the NFC Wild Card round. The Vikings rightly have higher expectations than that.

Losing Cousins could very well come back to haunt the Vikings should McCarthy flop in 2025 and beyond. But holding onto Cousins did not make Minnesota a true contender in the NFC. Frankly, it probably doesn't help Atlanta as much as they'd hope, either, and some Falcons fans are finding that out the hard way in Week 1 (win or lose).