Winners and losers of Kirk Cousins signing with the Atlanta Falcons
- Kirk Cousins will now be playing for his third NFC team in his illustrious career.
- He is expected to close out his career with the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year deal.
- Here are the biggest winners and losers from the massive free agency signing.
By John Buhler
Loser: Justin Jefferson
There were a lot of different directions to go in when it came to the biggest loser outside of Atlanta. While I think the Minnesota Vikings can still have success this offseason, Cousins leaving the Twin Cities is not good for Justin Jefferson ahead of his big pay day. He may be a former first-round pick by the Vikings, but they have never prioritized taking care of their receivers not named Cris Carter.
With presumably a Sam Darnold-type coming over in free agency, it will be more of the same as last year for the talented wide receiver out of LSU. If the Vikings draft a guy, that could be a great way to make up this cataclysmic loss. Even then, how ready will the likes of Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy be in year one? The Vikings could trade for Justin Fields, but he is in division, and that will be expensive.
Admittedly, Jefferson is going to win eventually anyway. He is that talented. However, the timing could not be worse for him entering essentially a contract year. Everybody knows what he can do on a football field, but it will be a tremendous test for him to just get his stats anyway, no matter who is throwing to him. I still like Jefferson's long-term future in the league, but 2024 could be a rough one.
At this point in time, you have to wonder what direction Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants to take this team.