Kirk Cousins echoed the refrain "all in" after he signed the richest guaranteed contract in NFL history Thursday to become the Vikings' franchise quarterback.
By signing a three-year, $84 million contract, Cousins became the league's highest-paid quarterback for the meantime. Shortly after the ink dries, another quarterback likely will sign a more lucrative deal.
But a different staying power lured the Vikings and Cousins to each other — the potential to win.
"We'd be here a long time if I was able to read off the grocery list of reasons why this is the right fit," Cousins said. "For the sake of time, I'll just say winning is what I said it'd be all about and it's true. I came here because of a chance to win. I felt it was probably the best chance."
After a crushing loss in the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, the Vikings sent a resounding message they are aiming for the franchise's first Super Bowl title. General Manager Rick Spielman added Cousins' record-breaking contract to the resources he has devoted to a championship pursuit, including spending two first-round picks — through the draft and via trade — to land quarterbacks since hiring coach Mike Zimmer in 2014.
The bar couldn't be set any higher for Cousins, who takes over last year's 13-win team that fell just short of the franchise's first Super Bowl berth since the 1976 season.
Spielman viewed Cousins, who turns 30 in August, as a "unique opportunity" to sign a franchise quarterback entering his prime. He was the Vikings' target while three of the team's former starting quarterbacks — Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater — left for new deals with the Broncos, Cardinals and Jets, respectively.
The Vikings went "all in" on Cousins, according to Spielman.