Kirk Cousins is about to surpass Tom Brady in one significant number
Former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins is about to surpass the GOAT, Tom Brady, aka the greatest of all time, but in a different way than you might imagine.
The Atlanta Falcons chose not to release or trade Cousins by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, guaranteeing the veteran quarterback a $10 million roster bonus for 2026. It's another win for the greatest NFL businessman of all time. The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million last March. Atlanta signed Cousins to the massive deal knowing he was recovering from Achilles surgery. He returned to start Week 1 for the Falcons, struggled, and was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. ahead of the Week 16 game against the Commanders.
So, back to Brady. How could a benched Cousins be on the verge of surpassing Brady?
According to Spotrac, Saturday's roster move ensured that Cousins would receive $331.6 million in guaranteed earnings for his NFL career, which is not over. Brady earned $332 million in guaranteed cash over the course of 23 NFL seasons. Cousins will enter his 14th season in 2025.
Kirk Cousins has now guaranteed himself $331.6M earned on the field across 14 NFL seasons.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 15, 2025
Tom Brady earned $332M in 23 seasons.
There are some reasons for this, such as Brady taking less many times to ensure a better team around him. Cousins's business acumen began after the 2015 season. Washington placed the franchise tag on him, couldn't agree to a long-term deal, and repeated the practice the following season. Cousins had no incentive to work out a long-term contract with the then-Redskins and no longer wanted to be with the franchise due to his relationship with former GM Bruce Allen and owner Dan Snyder.
Cousins would leave Washington after the 2017 season, signing with the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent the next six seasons until he signed with Atlanta last offseason.
Kudos to Cousins for doing what every player should do.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Kirk Cousins will soon surpass Tom Brady in this significant number
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