Kirk Cousins is the most cutthroat negotiator in the NFL

We can officially no longer say that Kirk Cousins isn't elite.

At least when it comes to contract negotiations.

After spending the past six years with the Minnesota Vikings, throwing for over 20,000 yards and 171 touchdowns, Cousins is on his way out of town but not because his former team didn't want him. No, it's because he negotiated one of the biggest contracts in NFL history during free agency, signing with the Atlanta Falcons.

According to reports, this team is worth $150 million over four years, with $100 million guaranteed. For a 35-year-old quarterback coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. Wild.

Is Cousins the best and most cutthroat negotiator the NFL has ever seen?

This list of contracts would make the case for that.

When the 2027 season comes to a close, Cousins will have made $411 million throughout his career and about $330 million of that was guaranteed. How does he continue to do it?

Mike McCartney is his agent so he, too, deserves a ton of credit for getting these contracts agreed upon. Not many healthy quarterbacks, especially at Kirk's age, would be able to ink a $150 million deal for four years, let alone an aging gunslinger coming off an Achilles injury. But Kirk just gets the job done.

It's wild to me that the man who acts like Ned Flanders and shops at Kohl's and whose wife picks out his outfits is securing these types of massive bags every time his contract expires and he tests free agency, but he clearly garners a ton of respect from around the league.

Will he finally break through with Atlanta and make a Super Bowl push for the first time in his career? Let's hope so. That's what the former Michigan State star is getting paid to do.