Kirk Cousins Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Kirk Cousins’s Net Worth and Salary: What is it?

An American professional football player, Kirk Cousins boasts a net worth of $120 million. Currently, he is a player for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. Prior to this, he played for the Washington Redskins from 2012 until 2017, before moving to the Minnesota Vikings from 2018 to 2023. His time with the Vikings saw Cousins earn three Pro Bowl selections and achieve third on the Vikings’ all-time passing yards list.

Career Earnings Exceeding $400 Million and Contracts

Following an impressive season in 2015, the Washington franchise tagged Kirk, which kept him under team control without allowing him to enter free agency, while also awarding him a one-year salary of $22 million. The following year, he was tagged again. The two tags required the Redskins to raise his salary to $24 million. If they had tagged him a third time, his salary would have had to rise by 44%. Ultimately, the Redskins reluctantly allowed Kirk to enter free agency. This moment marked the first time Kirk opted to trust himself and pursue a significant contract in free agency, rather than settling for a more modest, reliable deal. This choice to place his faith in himself would continue throughout his career, leading to impressive financial success.

Upon joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, Cousins signed a groundbreaking fully-guaranteed contract worth $84 million. Before this agreement with the Vikings, he was reportedly considering a deal with the New York Jets that would have netted him $60 million in his first season alone, including bonuses.

In March 2020, he agreed to a two-year, $66 million contract extension with the Vikings, which included a $30 million signing bonus. This new arrangement positioned him among the highest-paid NFL players globally as well as within the top 30 highest-paid entertainers.

Returning to free agency in 2024, Kirk once again chose to rely on his abilities by avoiding a pre-free agency deal. From his NFL debut in 2012 through March 2024, he had earned $231 million solely from his NFL salary. On March 11, 2024, Kirk signed a four-year contract worth $180 million with the Atlanta Falcons, which came with a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed. By the conclusion of this contract, Kirk’s career earnings are expected to surpass $410 million.

High School and Early Life

Kirk Cousins was born on August 19, 1988, in Barrington, Illinois, where he is the middle child of three, raised by Maryann and Don. As a teenager, he attended Holland Christian High School in Michigan, excelling in football, baseball, and basketball. During his time on the football team, Cousins amassed 3,204 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions throughout his high school career.

Career in College

Cousins attended Michigan State University on a football scholarship. After redshirting his freshman year in 2007, he served as the backup quarterback to Brian Hoyer during the 2008 season. Cousins became the Spartans’ starting quarterback in 2009, accumulating 2,680 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions over 12 games. In 2010, he guided the Spartans to an 11-2 record, sharing the Big Ten Conference title with the Wisconsin Badgers. The following year, Cousins led the Spartans to an 11-3 record and made history in the Big Ten Football Championship Game; however, they lost to the Wisconsin Badgers. Early in the subsequent year, the Spartans triumphed in the Outback Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Playing for the Washington Redskins

In the 2012 NFL draft, Cousins was selected seventh by the Washington…

selected by the Redskins in the fourth round. During his rookie season, he participated in only three games, amassing 466 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Redskins finished at the top of the NFC East but were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round. In 2013, Cousins achieved 854 passing yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions over five games, but the Redskins did not qualify for the playoffs. His statistics for the 2014 regular season included 1,710 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Cousins had a breakthrough season in 2015, playing a pivotal role in leading the Redskins to their largest comeback win in franchise history. He threw the final touchdown pass in the dying moments of a Week 7 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, securing a 31-30 win. That year, he received two NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and one NFC Offensive Player of the Month honor, leading the league with a 69.8% completion rate. The Redskins ended the season at the top of the NFC East but were knocked out by the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round.

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Minnesota Vikings

In 2018, Cousins joined the Minnesota Vikings after signing a contract. He had a notable first season, accumulating 4,298 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Nevertheless, the Vikings just missed the playoffs. While his 2019 season was not as statistically impressive, he still earned his second Pro Bowl selection as the Vikings reached the Divisional Round, only to be eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers. In 2020, he achieved 4,265 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, but the Vikings did not make the playoffs. The following season, he recorded 4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, again earning a Pro Bowl selection, yet the Vikings once more failed to progress into the postseason.

The Vikings enjoyed an outstanding 2022 season, marked by a memorable Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, where Cousins led the team to the largest comeback in NFL history, finishing with a 39-36 victory in overtime. Consequently, the Vikings secured the top position in the NFC North. Cousins completed the regular season with 4,547 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, earning his fourth Pro Bowl selection. Unfortunately, in the playoffs, the Vikings were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the New York Giants. Cousins played one additional season with the Vikings in 2023 but was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to an Achilles injury sustained during a Week 8 match against the Packers.

Atlanta Falcons

In March 2024, Cousins secured a four-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, valued at $180 million.

Personal Life

Cousins wed Julie Hampton in

In the summer of 2014, they tied the knot and are now parents to two sons, Cooper and Turner. Cousins practices as an evangelical Christian.