Early on in the 2019 NFL campaign, some were wondering whether or not the Minnesota Vikings should bench Kirk Cousins. Several months later, he signed a two-year extension with the club.

It's funny how much things can change in such a short period of time, and Cousins, who initially signed a three-year, $84 million deal with the Vikings in 2018, said his decision to extend his stay even further was an easy one:

“It was a no-brainer to be back with the Vikings and find a way to make it work,” Cousins said, according to Chris Tomasson of The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Not only did Cousins tack a couple of years on to his deal (and add $66 million to his contract), but he aided Minnesota in the process, helping the cash-strapped club open up $10 million in cap space this offseason.

After a slow start this past season, the 31-year-old rebounded and played like a fringe MVP candidate the rest of the way, throwing for 3,603 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 69.1 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 107.4. He earned a Pro Bowl selection for his efforts and also led the Vikings to 10 wins and a playoff appearance.

Minnesota went on to upset the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round—thanks to some overtime heroics from Cousins, no less—before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

Cousins spent the first six seasons of his career with the Washington Redskins before joining the Vikings in 2018.