Kirk Cousins timeline

Aug. 27, 2009: Cousins is named one of four captains for Michigan State. He is only the second sophomore in school history to receive the designation.

Sept. 5, 2009: After appearing in five games as a redshirt freshman, Cousins opens his sophomore year splitting time with Keith Nichol. Cousins starts in the season opener against Montana State and completes 17 passes for 183 yards and three TDs in a 44-3 romp.

Jan 3, 2010: Cousins caps his first full season as starter with an interception on the opening drive and another at the end to seal a 41-31 loss to Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl.

Oct. 23, 2010: With Nichol now a full-time wide receiver, Cousins leads Michigan State to an 8-0 start and a top-10 ranking.

Jan. 1, 2011: After leading the Spartans to a co-Big Ten championship, Cousins is knocked out of the game in the third quarter of a 49-7 blowout loss to Alabama in the Capital One Bowl.

Dec. 3, 2011: In the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game, Cousins (22-for-30, 281 yards, three TDs) and the No. 11 Spartans lose 42-39 to No. 15 Wisconsin.

Jan. 2, 2012: Cousins closes his college career in wild fashion, beating Georgia 33-30 in three overtimes in the Outback Bowl. Departs as Michigan State's career quarterback leader in yards (9,131), completions (723), TDs (66) and wins (27).

Oct. 7, 2012: Cousins makes his NFL debut, completing five passes for 111 yards, a TD and two INTs in a 24-17 loss to Atlanta.

Dec. 16, 2012: A week after coming off the bench and rallying the Redskins for an overtime win, Cousins makes his first NFL start filling in for RGIII and defeats Cleveland 38-21.

June 2013: Cousins' autobiography, titled "Game Changer (Faith, Football and Finding Your Way)," is published.

Aug. 31, 2015: Cousins is named starter over Griffin.

Oct. 25, 2015: Seven games into his first season as a full-time starter, Cousins orchestrates the largest comeback in franchise history. Down 24-0 in the second quarter, the Redskins defeat Tampa Bay 31-30. Afterward, Cousins memorably screams "YOU LIKE THAT?!?" to a D.C.-based reporter.

March 1, 2016: The Redskins place a franchise tag on Cousins — a one-year, $20 million contract.

Oct. 30, 2016: Cousins throws for a career-high 458 yards and two TDs in a 27-27 tie with the Bengals at Wembley Stadium in London. Cousins finishes the season with career highs in attempts (606) completions (406) and yards (4,917).

Feb. 28, 2017: The Redskins place a franchise tag on Cousins, the first time a quarterback is tagged in consecutive seasons.

Dec. 31, 2017: The Redskins limp to the finish line, losing 18-10 to the Giants. Cousins throws for just 158 yards with three interceptions and no TDs for a 31.1 passer rating. He does reach 4,000 passing yards for the third straight season.

Jan. 30, 2018: The Chiefs agree to trade Alex Smith to Washington for a third-round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller.

March 15, 2018: Cousins signs a mega-deal that makes him the Vikings' new franchise quarterback.

Brian Stensaas