Kirk Cousins is a quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL.
He played college at Michigan State before he was drafted by the Washington Football Team in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Originally drafted as a backup to fellow rookie Robert Griffin III, he eventually took over in 2015 after Griffin suffered an injury. Cousins set numerous franchise records and appeared in the 2017 Pro Bowl for the Washington Football Team.
After two years of contract disputes, where he signed two franchise tags in the process, he signed a three-year, fully guaranteed $84 million contract as a free agent with the Vikings in 2018. At the time, the contract made him the highest-paid player on a per-year basis in NFL history.
In his first year as a Viking, Cousins had a career 70% completion rate, the best of his career.
Cousins attended Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan, where he starred in football, baseball and basketball for the Maroons.
He broke his ankle during his junior year and was forced to attend camps in order to make an impression with recruiting colleges. Cousins finished his high school football career with 3,204 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.
Cousins led Michigan State to a 6–7 record, throwing for 19 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and 2,680 passing yards in 12 games in 2009. In 2010, he led Michigan State to an 11–2 record.
In 2011, the Spartans went 11–3 and played in the first ever Big Ten championship game. Cousins was named Second Team All-Big Ten. His teams posted an undefeated 4–0 record against the in-state rival Michigan Wolverines. Cousins won the 2011 Lowes's Senior CLASS Award.
He finished his college career with 9,131 yards passing and 66 touchdowns on a 64% completion percentage.
After being drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 draft, Cousins spent years on the pine before taking over the starting gig. During his time with the Football Team, he set numerous franchise records and appeared in the 2017 Pro Bowl. After two years of being unable to agree with the Football Team on a long-term deal, signing two franchise tags in the process, he inked a three-year, fully guaranteed $84 million contract as a free agent with the Vikings in 2018.
In his Vikings debut season, Cousins finished with 4,298 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He then finished the 2019 season with 3,602 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions, heavily incorporating play-action passes.
On March 18, 2020, Cousins signed a two-year, $66 million contract extension with the Vikings.
As of 2020, Kirk Cousins’ net worth is valued at $70 million. In less than ten years, Cousins’ finances have increased impressively. His impressive net worth for a player who has played only eight seasons in the league is as a result of the rare contracts he has negotiated in recent years.
In 2020, Kirk Cousins’ earning was estimated to be $60.5 million, which placed him on the 9th place in the Forbes Highest-Paid Athletes for 2020, making him the highest-ranked NFL player on the list. He also made the 2020 Highest-Paid celebrities list. He placed 27th on the list. Of the $60.5 million Cousins earned in 2020, endorsement deals with sponsors, CenturyLink, Panini, Bose, and Mike account for $2.5 million.
Cousins signed a 2 year, $66 million extension with the Vikings in 2020
Kirk Cousins married Julie Hampton on June 28, 2014, in Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2019, Cousins and his wife have two sons.
During his time with the Washington Football Team, Cousins earned the nickname "Captain Kirk" for his presence as a leader, referencing the Star Trek character. He also appeared in several commercials with Eastern Motors, a D.C. used car dealership, with former teammates Josh Norman and Ryan Kerrigan.
In September 2020, Cousins appeared on an episode of the "10 Questions" podcast hosted by NFL Network's Kyle Brandt, and when asked about how seriously he took precautionary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cousins said, "If I die, I die."
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