Vikings twist knife in Kirk Cousins after he leaves for Falcons with brutal PR speak

Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in NFL free agency. That deal amounts to two years and close to $100 million in guaranteed money at signing, even should the Falcons find a way out of said contract eventually. The Falcons are banking on Cousins as their long-term answer at QB, and it's easy to see why given they haven't had much success otherwise.

Cousins at his best is a proven top-10 quarterback in the league. Does he deserve over $100 million guaranteed at 36 years of age coming off a brutal Achilles injury? Well, your answer may be different from mine, but the Falcons didn't have any better option.

When revealing why he signed with the Falcons over Minnesota, Cousins tried not to take any shots at the Vikings. He said goodbye to the are and fans with such class on Wednesday. Yet, his comment about the Falcons franchise may have hinted at his reasoning -- perhaps Minnesota wasn't always on the same page from the top down.

“When the owner, General Manager, head coach, and quarterback are on the same page, that’s when you have really a chance to go win a Super Bowl,” Cousins said. “As I looked at the Atlanta Falcons, I believe strongly that theowner, head coach, General Manager, and quarterback can all be on the same page. And that’s exciting for me, and so that’s why I’m thrilled to be here.”

Vikings were ready to move on from Kirk Cousins, too

As much as Cousins was appreciated on the field, those paid to determine his future didn't always feel as confident in him, whether it be his ability to stay healthy or lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl. On Thursday, though, Kevin O'Connell was clear the Vikings were all on the same page to let Cousins walk.

"As much as I would've maybe liked to have Kirk here, the right thing for our team moving forward is where we are today," O'Connell said.

O'Connell isn't wrong, but woof. Cousins led the Vikings to a division title just two years ago. He also offered a stable option at the most important position in football his entire time in Minneapolis. Yet, evidently the Vikings were ready to move on.

Cousins isn't one to take things personally -- and this is all PR-speak, of course -- but it's tough not to read between the lines here.