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Kirk Cousins signs three-year, $84m deal with Minnesota Vikings

Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins warms up during pre game before playing the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017
Image: Kirk Cousins has joined Minnesota Vikings

Free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins has signed a three-year, $84m deal with the Minnesota Vikings, the team have confirmed.

The value of the contract will make Cousins, 29, the highest paid quarterback in the league.

Cousins arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday and had dinner with Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer before finalising an agreement on Thursday.

The Vikings were Cousins' first stop as a free agent, as he also was set to visit the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets, but he never left Minnesota.

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Cousins, who was widely viewed as the top available free agent on the market, played his first six seasons with the Washington Redskins. He completed 1,372 of 2,096 passes (65.5 percent) for 16,206 yards for 99 touchdowns against 55 interceptions. His career passer rating is 93.7.

Washington used the franchise tag to retain Cousins the past two offseasons but opted to agree to trade for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith on January 30, signalling the end of the Cousins era.

Washington Redskins Quarterback Kirk Cousins warms up before a game against the Denver Broncos at FedExField on December 24, 2017
Image: Cousins was widely viewed as the top available free agent on the market

He will be joining a Vikings a Vikings team that has won the NFC North in two of the past three seasons and made an appearance in the NFC Championship in January.

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Minnesota were in the market for a quarterback after allowing all three that were on the roster last season - Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater - to leave in free agency.

Earlier this week, the Vikings traded a 2019 fifth-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a 2018 seventh-round draft pick and quarterback Trevor Siemian, who is expected to serve as Cousins' back-up in Minnesota.

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