We Still Can't Believe Kirk Cousins is One of the World's Highest-Paid Athletes

Kirk Cousins is the ninth highest-paid athlete in the world, and no we aren't kidding. According to Forbes, after Cousins received his $30 million signing bonus for the 2020 season, the two-time Pro Bowler catapulted inside the top-ten richest athletes.

This isn't to say Cousins isn't a solid quarterback, but to be in the conversation with athletes like Tiger Woods, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is laughable.

The Michigan State product hasn't won a Super Bowl, MVP, or made an All-Pro team. We can all agree that Cousins may be an above-average quarterback, but we can't believe he's in the conversation with these elite athletes.

This just shows how much weight the Vikings are putting on Cousins shoulders, as they need him to lead them to success. To pay Cousins, the team has sacrificed other parts of the roster. They lost Stefon Diggs and Everson Griffen, among others, who have played key roles in Minnesota's two playoff runs in the past three seasons.

Maybe the Vikings' signal-caller takes the next step and becomes an elite quarterback in 2020, leading his team to a Super Bowl. However, right now, it's almost unbelievable to think that Cousins is among the NFL's highest-paid players.