Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins broke his silence on his departure in a video thanking the franchise and its fans shared on his social media accounts.
Cousins, 35, who agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday (March 11), said he was going to sign his new contract Wednesday (March 13) upon the beginning of the official free agent signing period, which he said was "bittersweet" as he leaves Minnesota after six seasons.
"It was a privilege to quarterback the Minnesota Vikings and a privilege that brought much responsibility and so I wanted to be accountable to all those people that work for the Vikings and put in the work that was needed to deliver for them," Cousins said in the video on behalf of his wife, Julie, and their sons Turner and Cooper.
"I'd also just like to say 'thank you' to the people of Minnesota, the people of the Twin Cities and the people who we did life with on a daily basis around our great state of Minnesota," Cousins added. "I just want to say 'thank you.' You've meant so much to my family and as a result of your impact Minnesota will always hold a special place in the hearts of me and of my family, so thank you and God bless."
Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, revealed his client's decision to join the Falcons on his X account Monday.
Cousins, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in October, posted two clips of himself dropping back to pass and throwing a football on a tennis court on February 26.
Cousins underwent successful Achilles surgery on November 1, three days after suffering the injury during a win against the Green Bay Packers on October 29.
"Surgery was a success! Grateful for your prayers, Dr. Coetzee’s abilities, and our medical team. Would appreciate continued prayers! One day at a time…," Cousins wrote in a post shared on his X account at the time, which included a photo of himself in a hospital bed.
Cousins threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 31 passing prior to exiting the game. The 35-year-old entered Week 3 with the third-most passing yards (2,057) and second-most passing touchdowns (16) among all NFL quarterbacks.
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