Saints legend played a surprising role in Kirk Cousins signing with Falcons

At the professional level, every quarterback is talented. In general, the difference in talent is marginal, and sometimes even unnoticeable. That's why it's so easy to argue about which quarterback is better, or why some of the league's best quarterbacks can lose on any given Sunday.

Through his 15-year career, quarterback Kirk Cousins has learned that quarterbacks need more than just natural talent to find success in the NFL — they need organizational stability, a good coaching staff, and a supportive front office. As an unrestricted free agent, Cousins wanted to make sure he picked his next team wisely.

Before Cousins signed his four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, he wanted to learn more about the team's general manager, Terry Fontenot.

Kirk Cousins called Saints legend Drew Brees before signing with Falcons

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Cousins said he called former New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees to ask him for his opinion on Fontenot.

“Drew just raved about him, his football knowledge," Cousins said. "I think it shows in the roster he’s already built here."

Brees worked with Fontenot during his 15-year tenure with the Saints. Fontenot began his career as a scout for the New Orleans Saints in 2003. He was promoted to director of scouting in 2013, and promoted to vice president of pro personnel in 2020. Fontenot joined the Falcons as general manager before the 2021 NFL season. In his three seasons as general manager, Atlanta has drafted running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts with top-10 picks in the NFL Draft.

"I just started to put the pieces together the best I could," Cousins added, "and I really liked what I was learning.”

The Falcons made sense a lot of reasons. Cousins will have a lot of familiarity in Atlanta, and not just because his wife is from the area. The Falcons offensive scheme will likely be similar to the one Cousins ran with the Minnesota Vikings, since Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell both developed their philosophies under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. The Falcons are loaded with young, explosive weapons. And, of course, the money doesn't hurt, either.