3. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (2018):
Following a strange run in Washington where he was given the franchise tag on more than one occasion, Cousins signed with the Vikings in 2018. His numbers were decent enough, as he passed for 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Yet those numbers are deceiving. The sheer number of Cousin’s contract is not, however, as the fact his deal was guaranteed for three years at $84 million, a rate of $28 million guaranteed per year.
So while his numbers are solid enough, the fact that the Vikings badly regressed by going 8-8 and missing the playoffs in Cousin’s first year makes him one of the biggest free agent busts ever thus far. Minnesota went 13-3 in 2017 and was supposed to make the leap to Super Bowl contender status last year. Instead, Cousins often looked confused as he was bombarded behind a suspect offensive line. We’ll see if that changes this year, but for now, he’s a massive free agent bust because his deal is fully guaranteed.
