3 Things that stand out about Kirk Cousins' Atlanta Falcons contract

2. Atlanta controls Kirk Cousins next four seasons

The flip side of this is obviously if Cousins is great in his next two seasons the Falcons have four years of control and plenty of time to contend for the NFC.

Quarterbacks aren't aging in this league as they once were due to the rule changes. We saw it with Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and Joe Flacco. All quarterbacks whose career would have ended 3-4 years earlier if not for quarterback-friendly rule changes.

There is absolutely a chance that Kirk Cousins is thirty-nine and still Atlanta's starting quarterback. The way that he plays the game lends itself to aging well and as long as he doesn't lose his arm he can be a starter in this league. For the Falcons, this lends itself to keeping their options open long-term while perhaps providing a four year answer for the team.

You could opt to draft a quarterback each offseason searching for your future keeping Cousins until you believe you have the right answer or his level of play falls off. Atlanta paid the first two years of this contract to keep roster flexibility and keep control long term. It is a great deal for both sides that lends itself to Atlanta keeping their options open.