The Kirk Cousins era in Minnesota officially came to an end Wednesday, when the quarterback signed his new contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins posted a video on his social media channels to say goodbye and thank you to the Vikings and Minnesota fans.
"Today is a bit of a bittersweet day for me," Cousins said, sitting in front of what appeared to be a photo of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, where the Masters will be held next month. "I'm in Atlanta now and a little later today I'm going to be signing a contract with the Falcons to officialize the agreement we've made. But that also means I've got to say goodbye to Minnesota and to the Minnesota Vikings. And that's what makes today tough."
"First of all, thank you to the tremendous teammates, coaches, support staff, management and ownership of the Minnesota Vikings for the way they have come alongside me and supported me," he added. "A quarterback really doesn't have a chance without great people around him, and for six seasons in Minnesota I had great people around me and I don't take that for granted. It was a privilege to quarterback the Minnesota Vikings, and a privilege that brought much responsibility and so I wanted to be accountable to all those people who worked for the Vikings and put in the work that was need to deliver for them. And so I am very grateful for who they are, for what they represent, and the difference they made for me and my family. And then I'd also just like to say thank you to the people of Minnesota, the people of the Twin Cities, and the people who we did live with on a daily basis around our great state of Minnesota. I just wanted to say thank you. You meant so much to my family. As a result of your impact, Minnesota will always hold a special place in the hearts of me and of my family. So thank you and God bless."