The unofficial start to NFL free agency began once the clock hit noon Eastern on Monday, with the legal tampering window opening, allowing teams to begin talking to players' representatives directly. One of the biggest moves so far was free agent Kirk Cousins signing a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Cousins to the Falcons had been rumored since nearly the end of the Falcons' regular season. Atlanta failed to live up to any sort of expectations placed upon them during the 2023 season, even though they resided in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. It was a season that saw the dismissal of third-year head coach Arthur Smith, who finished his tenure with three consecutive 7-10 seasons. Smith more or less inherited a problem he couldn't fix in his three years in Atlanta, which was finding a franchise starting quarterback.

In Smith's first year, he saw the last real production from then-franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, who was traded the next season to the Indianapolis Colts. The next season it was on to Marcus Mariota, who has spent a large majority of his career going back and forth between a starter and backup. Finally, in 2023, the issue became glaringly evident of what was missing with the Falcons when second-year quarterback out of Cincinnati Desmond Ridder was named the starter. Though, injury and bad play resulted in he and Taylor Heinicke often swapping starts most of the season.

Now enter Cousins, the 35-year-old who is coming off a major Achilles tendon injury from last year, playing in just eight games. But make no mistake that the former Minnesota Vikings quarterback was highly sought after and that if it wouldn't have been Atlanta, some other team would have snatched him up quickly. Really, Cousins was one of if not the top free agent coming into the new NFL year, with his signing to the Falcons causing a domino effect across the rest of the league's choices in not only the remainder of free agency but the 2024 NFL Draft.

But was this a good deal for the Falcons? It certainly seemed like a good deal for Cousins, whose signing came with a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed, per Tom Pelissero. Let's grade it.

Grading Kirk Cousins' signing with the Falcons

Kirk Cousins neutral attire with Arthur Blank and Terry Fontenot

First and foremost, the Falcons answered a pressing need and one that every franchise in the NFL must answer if they want to compete, that being finding a reliable, franchise-worthy quarterback. Cousins definitely fits that bill even though his time with the Falcons will likely be a short one, likely just the four years of his deal as he'll be 39-years-old at the end of it, certainly in the twilight of his career if not retired.

But those four years can be a productive one for Cousins and the Falcons who have a majority of their offense already set with skill position players like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and Tyler Allgeier, not to mention one of the better offensive lines in the league. That alone had to be alluring for the former Vikings and Commanders quarterback. But his $180 million deal probably put it over the top.

Cousins by no means seems like any sort of greedy man, but the league has made him very rich, as he's become one of the highest-paid players in NFL history, having made $231.6 million through 2023, according to Sporting News. He's made no less than $20 million annually since 2016. His average salary with the Falcons will come to around $45 million.

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But did the Falcons pay too much? Prior to signing Cousins, the Falcons were sitting at $37.2 million in cap space, now they're at $13 million, per Over the Cap, with more cuts likely coming soon to increase that amount. But again, the most pressing need was met, and they were able to hold off any other suitors vying for Cousins. Remember, though, that while Cousins has been productive throughout his career, he's just 1-4 in the playoffs, and he's coming a concerning Achilles injury from last season.

You could argue that Cousins is at best a B+ quarterback and his comparison for the Falcons would be Matt Ryan at the peak of his career. However, signing Cousins gives new head coach Raheem Morris time, something that former head coach Arthur Smith didn't have. Morris has four years (probably two to three, honestly) to find his next franchise quarterback while Cousins holds down the fort. That also gives the Falcons time to build the rest of their team, particularly on the defensive side, which is Morris' specialty.

Both parties win in this case. The Falcons get a much-needed upgrade at the quarterback position with someone who can win a lot of games and hopefully get them into the playoffs, especially due to their weaker division. Cousins also wins… again. He gets paid handsomely with a chance to start over again with a new team that is starving for wins and success. Again, the only question marks come from Cousins' age, recent injury, and his salary, which have to be put into account. Could you say that the Falcons overpaid for the veteran quarterback? Sure, but they couldn't afford not to.

Grade: A-