WILLIAMSBURG (WAVY) – It’s not bad to be Kirk Cousins these days. After six seasons with the Washington Redskins, three as the starting quarterback, Cousins signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million deal to be the new quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings.
It was the most lucrative contract in football history.
“I am in a great place, and I credit my time in Washington for that,” said Cousins at the College of William and Mary’s Colonial All-Pro camp on Monday.
Though Cousins set Redskins’ single-season records for passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions, he led the team to the playoffs just one time and played under the franchise tag over the past two seasons.
Washington never pulled the trigger on a long-term deal, and instead decided to bring in Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs, ultimately ending an up-and-down relationship with Cousins.
“I was able to live a dream,” said Cousins. “The perfectionist that I am is always going to wish that I’d done more, that we could have done more.”
Much more will be expected from him with the Vikings, who made it all the way to the NFC Championship game last season. “(Pressure) is just not on the inside where our focus is,” he said.
“I think it’s a little toxic to focus on that. As one coach said, you can’t win the Super Bowl in June, but you can lose it if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”