History of Kirk Cousins in Timeline
Kirk Cousins is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2012. Initially a backup, he became the starter in 2015 and remained so until 2017. During his time with the Redskins, he set multiple franchise records and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2017.
1945: Second to Baugh
Cousins finished the 2015 season with a league-leading completion percentage of 69.8%, the second-highest in team history behind Sammy Baugh's 70.3% completion rate in 1945.
1960: NFL Begins Tracking Game-Winning Drives
The NFL began officially tracking game-winning drives in 1960.
1967: Second to Jurgensen
Cousins finished the 2015 season with 29 passing touchdowns, placing him second in Redskins history behind Sonny Jurgensen's 31 touchdowns in 1967.
1970: Breaking Jurgensen's Record
Cousins became the first Redskins quarterback since Sonny Jurgensen in 1970 to have at least four passing touchdowns in three or more games in one season.
1979: Tommy Kramer Sets Completion Record
In 1979, Tommy Kramer set the Vikings team record with 16 consecutive completions.
1986: Surpassing Schroeder's Record
Cousins broke Jay Schroeder's Redskins single-season passing yardage record of 4,109 yards, set in 1986.
August 19, 1988: Birth of Kirk Cousins
Kirk Daniel Cousins was born on August 19, 1988.
1994: Redskins' Dual Quarterback Strategy
The Redskins' decision to draft two quarterbacks in the 1994 NFL Draft, Heath Shuler and Gus Frerotte, mirrored their strategy in drafting Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in the 2012 draft.
2007: Record Comeback and Catchphrase
On October 25, 2007, Cousins led the Redskins to their biggest comeback win ever, overcoming a 24-0 deficit against the Buccaneers. He threw for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown, including the game-winning pass to Jordan Reed. This game also saw him tie the franchise record for completions with 33. His post-game exclamation, "You like that?!", became a popular catchphrase.
2007: Redshirting at Michigan State
Kirk Cousins redshirted during the 2007 season at Michigan State.
2007: Joining Michigan State University
After initially considering Toledo or Western Michigan, Kirk Cousins accepted a scholarship offer from Mark Dantonio, the new head coach at Michigan State University, in 2007.
2008: Backup Quarterback at Michigan State
Kirk Cousins spent the 2008 season as the backup quarterback to Brian Hoyer at Michigan State, playing in five games.
2009: Starting Quarterback for Michigan State
In 2009, Kirk Cousins won the starting quarterback job at Michigan State, leading the team to a 6-7 record.
2010: Big Ten Conference Championship
Kirk Cousins led Michigan State to an 11-2 record and a share of the Big Ten Conference Championship in 2010.
2011: Big Ten Football Championship Game and Awards
In 2011, Kirk Cousins led Michigan State to the Big Ten Football Championship game. He led the conference in passing completions, attempts, and yards. He was named second-team All-Big Ten and won the Lowes's Senior CLASS Award.
2011: Heisman Trophy Winner
Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy in 2011.
January 2, 2012: Outback Bowl Victory and Final Game for Michigan State
On January 2, 2012, Kirk Cousins played his final game for Michigan State, leading the Spartans to a victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl.
May 31, 2012: Signing with the Washington Redskins
Kirk Cousins signed a four-year contract with the Washington Redskins on May 31, 2012.
December 15, 2012: First NFL Start and Rookie of the Week
On December 15, 2012, Kirk Cousins made his first NFL start for the Redskins against the Cleveland Browns, leading the team to a 38-21 victory and earning Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors.
2012: NFC East Title and Four Touchdowns
Cousins led the Redskins to victory over the Eagles in 2012, securing the NFC East division title, the first since 2012. Despite a questionable kneel before halftime, he threw four touchdowns in the game.
2012: Drafted by the Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins selected Kirk Cousins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft, despite having drafted Robert Griffin III second overall to be their starting quarterback.
2012: First Game-Winning Drive Since 2012
On October 4, 2015, Kirk Cousins led a game-winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles, his first since 2012.
2012: Drafted by the Washington Redskins
Kirk Cousins was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft as a backup to Robert Griffin III.
December 11, 2013: Starting Quarterback for the Remainder of the Season
On December 11, 2013, Kirk Cousins was named the Redskins' starting quarterback for the rest of the season after Robert Griffin III was deactivated.
February 2, 2014: Open to Trade
On February 2, 2014, Kirk Cousins expressed openness to being traded from the Redskins.
June 28, 2014: Cousins Marries Julie Hampton
Kirk Cousins married Julie Hampton on June 28, 2014, in Atlanta, Georgia.
August 31, 2015: Named Starting Quarterback
Kirk Cousins was named the Redskins starting quarterback over Robert Griffin III on August 31, 2015.
2015: Cousins Becomes Starting Quarterback
Following an injury to Robert Griffin III in 2015, Kirk Cousins became the Redskins starting quarterback.
2015: Historic Completion Percentage and Touchdowns
In 2015, Cousins set the NFL record for the highest completion percentage (74.7%) in home games (with a minimum of 100 attempts), leading the Redskins to a 6-2 home record. He also became the first Redskins quarterback since Sonny Jurgensen in 1970 to have at least four passing touchdowns in three or more games in one season.
January 3, 2016: Setting Redskins Passing Records
On January 3, 2016, Cousins set a new Redskins single-season passing yardage record with 4,166 yards, surpassing Jay Schroeder's 1986 record.
January 10, 2016: Wild Card Round Loss
On January 10, 2016, Cousins led the Redskins in the Wild Card Round against the Green Bay Packers. Despite throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), he was sacked six times and fumbled once, leading to a 35-18 loss and ending the Redskins' season.
March 1, 2016: Franchise Tagged
On March 1, 2016, the Redskins used the non-exclusive franchise tag on Cousins, preventing him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. This one-year, $20 million contract prevented other teams from signing him without giving up two first-round draft picks to the Redskins.
2016: Stafford Ties Game-Winning Drives Record
In 2016, Matthew Stafford tied the NFL record for most game-winning drives in a single season.
2016: Career-High Passing Yards
Despite missing the playoffs in 2016, Cousins led the Redskins to a winning 8-7-1 record. He achieved a career-high 4,917 passing yards, ranking third in the NFL behind Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, and surpassing his previous personal and team records.
February 28, 2017: Consecutive Franchise Tag
On February 28, 2017, despite efforts to negotiate a long-term deal, Cousins and the Redskins agreed on the exclusive franchise tag, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to be franchise-tagged for two consecutive years.
2017: Victory over Raiders and Two Rushing Touchdowns
During Week 3 of the 2017 season, Cousins led the Redskins to a 27-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders, throwing for a season-high 365 yards and three touchdowns, earning him his fourth NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Later in the season, in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins tied his single-game career-high with two rushing touchdowns despite a 38-30 loss.
2017: Consistent 4,000-Yard Seasons
In 2017, Cousins completed 347 of 540 passes for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, marking his third consecutive season passing for at least 4,000 yards. He also rushed 49 times for 179 yards and four touchdowns.
2017: First Pro Bowl and Fumble Recovery
In 2017, Cousins was named to his first Pro Bowl as a replacement for Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. During the game, he played most of the second half and notably forced a fumble on Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib after chasing him down the field following an interception.
2017: Pro Bowl Selection and Departure from Redskins
Kirk Cousins was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl. He remained the Redskins starting quarterback until 2017.
2017: Vikings Win NFC North
The Minnesota Vikings last won the NFC North title in 2017.
March 15, 2018: Cousins Signs with the Vikings
On March 15, 2018, Kirk Cousins signed a fully guaranteed three-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings worth $84 million. This was the first fully guaranteed and, at the time, highest-paying contract in NFL history.
2018: Ranked 94th on NFL Top 100 Players
Cousins was ranked 94th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
2018: Signing with the Minnesota Vikings
In 2018, after two years of franchise tags with the Redskins, Kirk Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
2019: Cousins and His Wife Have Two Sons
As of 2019, Cousins and his wife have two sons, Cooper and Turner.
2019: Cousins' First Season with the Vikings
During the 2019 NFL season, Cousins finished his first season with the Vikings with 4,298 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, along with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown. He was ranked 78th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
2019: Cousins' Performance in the 2019 Season
During the 2019 NFL season, Cousins had some notable performances, including overcoming a 20-point deficit against the Broncos in Week 11, extending his Monday Night Football losing streak to 0-9, and being named to his second career Pro Bowl.
March 18, 2020: Cousins Extends Contract with the Vikings
On March 18, 2020, Cousins signed a two-year, $66 million contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings.
2020: Cousins' Performance in the 2020 Playoffs
In the 2020 NFL playoffs, Cousins led the Vikings to a Wild Card victory against the Saints with a game-winning touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph in overtime. However, they fell to the 49ers in the Divisional Round. He was ranked 58th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
2021: Cousins' Performance in the 2021 Season
During the 2021 NFL season, Cousins started the season with a close overtime loss to the Bengals and had strong performances against the Packers and Lions later in the season.
March 13, 2022: Cousins Signs Another Contract Extension
On March 13, 2022, Cousins signed a one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed contract extension with the Vikings, keeping him with the team through the 2023 season.
2022: Cousins Leads Vikings to 13-4 Season
During the 2022 season, Cousins started all 17 games, leading the Vikings to a 13-4 record and an NFC North division title.
2022: Cousins' Achievements in the 2022 Season
In 2022, Cousins finished the season with impressive stats, earning his third Pro Bowl nomination. However, he was ranked 99th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.
2022: Cousins' Record-Breaking Performance and NFC North Title
In a Week 15 game in 2022, Cousins led the Vikings to a historic comeback victory against the Colts, throwing for a career-high 460 yards and securing the NFC North title for the Vikings. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. He also tied the NFL record for most game-winning drives in a season.
2022: Cousins Recorded for Netflix Documentary
Kirk Cousins was recorded on-and-off the field during the 2022 NFL season for a Netflix and NFL Films documentary series, Quarterback.
January 15, 2023: Vikings Lose in Wild Card Round
On January 15, 2023, despite a strong performance from Cousins, the Vikings lost to the Giants in the NFC Wild Card round, ending their playoff run.
July 12, 2023: Cousins Featured in Netflix Documentary 'Quarterback'
'Quarterback', a Netflix and NFL Films documentary series, debuted on Netflix on July 12, 2023. The series featured Kirk Cousins, who was recorded on-and-off the field during the 2022 NFL season.
October 29, 2023: Cousins Suffers Season-Ending Injury
On October 29, 2023, Cousins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles injury during the Vikings' Week 8 game against the Packers.
October 31, 2023: Cousins Placed on Injured Reserve
On October 31, 2023, two days after his injury, Cousins was officially placed on the injured reserve list, ending his 2023 season.
2023: Cousins' Strong Start to the 2023 Season
In the 2023 season opener, Cousins led the Vikings to a victory against the Packers with impressive passing stats. He continued to perform well in subsequent games, breaking a team record for consecutive completions in Week 5.
March 13, 2024: Cousins Signs with the Atlanta Falcons
On March 13, 2024, Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
April 25, 2024: Falcons Draft Quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
On April 25, 2024, the Atlanta Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with their first-round selection (eighth overall) in the 2024 NFL draft. The Falcons did not notify Cousins or his agent of the decision until they were on the clock with their pick.