In March 2018, NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million guaranteed contract with the Minnesota Vikings. At the time, Cousins' deal made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

A video posted on the Vikings' website shares footage of the 30-year-old athlete earlier this year during his decision-making process. It reveals that before signing with Minnesota, he had a $90 million guaranteed offer from the New York Jets.

In the video, Cousins gets off the phone and tells his wife, Julie, that his agent Mike McCartney had called to tell him the Jets were offering a "$30 [million], fully-guaranteed three-year deal." He tells her that with such a strong deal on the table, he plans to urge McCartney to try to elicit a competitive offer from the Vikings.

Luckily for Cousins, that's exactly what happened. Just hours after receiving an offer from the Jets, the Vikings increased their offer to $28 million guaranteed per year — a total of $84 million over three years.

"As much as the overall dollars are important in a contract," says Cousins, "I think in my situation, structure is as important, if not more important."