Jared Allen gets brutally honest about Kirk Cousins leaving the Vikings

Former Minnesota Vikings DE Jared Allen
Former Minnesota Vikings DE Jared Allen / Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages
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Earlier this offseason, Kirk Cousins decided to end his time with the Minnesota Vikings and begin a new journey with the Atlanta Falcons.

It was a difficult decision, but the Falcons' willingness to provide him with a multi-year contract worth $180 million certainly made it a little easier for Cousins to leave Minnesota after six seasons.

There have been plenty of opinions shared about the former Vikings quarterback since his departure from Minnesota earlier this year. Most recently, former Vikings defensive end Jared Allen weighed in on Cousins leaving his old team, and the record-setting pass rusher didn't hold back with his thoughts.

Jared Allen "glad" the Minnesota Vikings didn't spend a lot to re-sign Kirk Cousins

During an appearance on FanDuel's "Up & Adams" show on Tuesday, Allen had the following to say about Cousins signing with the Falcons this offseason.

"I'm glad the Vikings didn't spend $45 million [per year to keep Kirk Cousins]. It's nothing against Kirk Cousins, but when you're trying to rebuild an organization, I don't think a mid-30s quarterback coming off an Achilles tear is where you want to spend your money."

While some felt the Vikings should have made a better effort to keep Cousins around for at least one more season, there are also plenty of people who agree with what Allen said on Tuesday about the former Minnesota quarterback.

Before he signed with Atlanta, it never seemed like the Vikings were fully out on the idea of bringing Cousins back for the 2024 season. However, Minnesota clearly wasn't willing to give the veteran signal-caller the type of contract that the Falcons were, which resulted in the end of a six-year relationship.

While Allen did share that he's happy the Vikings didn't give Cousins another massive contract, he did also say, "Kudos to Kirk for going and breaking the bank with Atlanta" because, as a former player, he knows how guys in the league should always take advantage of every opportunity to get paid that they can before their careers eventually come to a close.

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