The Vikings participated in the Day 3 run on quarterbacks, taking BYU’s Jaren Hall in Round 5. But two years after making an effort to trade up for Justin Fields, Minnesota does not look to have a true Kirk Cousins heir apparent.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah scouted Hall in-person but declined to say if the 25-year-old rookie could be a potential Cousins successor. The Vikings discussed another extension with Cousins, but the sides ended up reaching a restructure agreement in March. After signing three Vikings contracts (in 2018, 2020 and 2022), Cousins is due for free agency after this season. The Vikings are not closing the door on another Cousins contract.
“When you go into a contract negotiation, you’re trying to come up with solutions together,” Adofo-Mensah said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “It’s not just what Kwesi wants or what the Vikings want or what Kirk wants. It’s what we can do together to ultimately put up that Lombardi. Sometimes you come to a place where you decide, ‘Hey, let’s talk later. This is a solution for now.’ That’s all that’s happened.”
Entering his sixth year as the Vikings’ starter, Cousins made it to the Twin Cities because of the unique leverage his two Washington franchise tags created. Cousins parlayed that into a fully guaranteed deal (three years, $84MM) that accelerated a QB-market boom. He later signed a two-year, $66MM deal in 2020 and agreed to a one-year, $35MM bump in 2022. Both the latter accords reduced Cousins’ cap number. This year’s restructure did the same; Cousins counts $20.25MM on Minnesota’s 2023 cap. But, excluding void years, the 12th-year passer is unsigned beyond 2023.
Being 2-for-5 in playoff appearances with the Vikings and having won one career postseason game, Cousins has still been one of this era’s premier earners. Exiting the 2022 season, he has banked $201MM. The skyrocketing QB market would make him an interesting player next year, but the Vikings have exclusive negotiating rights until next March.
As a mid-30-something QB on the market — should he reach free agency for a second time — Cousins will not carry the same kind of value he did back in 2018. But a quality season — one in which T.J. Hockenson and first-round pick Jordan Addison will be in the fold come Week 1 — would still make him a viable commodity, in the event the Vikings do not use their exclusive negotiating rights to reach a fourth agreement with Cousins before next year’s legal tampering period.
“We like where we are at the quarterback position,” Adofo-Mensah said. “But every option is open to us going forward. We’re just really excited about Kirk this year. The weapons we’ve added in free agency, the weapons we added in the draft [will help], and we’ll see what happens after that.”
The franchise tag might not be a viable option for the Vikings, and Cousins may not be worthy of such a designation by next year. Drew Brees won a grievance regarding the tag in 2012, indicating that, despite being tagged by two teams in nonconsecutive years (2005, 2012), a third tag should still come in at 144% of his previous year’s salary. No player has been tagged three times since the Jaguars cuffed safety Donovin Darius from 2003-05. Subsequent CBAs, however, have contained language — the 144% component — that effectively prevents a third tag.
On less steady ground with the Titans, Ryan Tannehill is the other experienced starter on track for free agency in 2024. Though, as the 2020s QB trade markets have illustrated, more will likely be available. Cousins’ Minnesota status will obviously be worth monitoring ahead of that point.
Kirk masterfully played the NFL. Good for him and his family! From 4th round pick to most likely well over $100m in his account. I’m surprised more haven’t followed in his footsteps. Next up a back up for a few years, then media.
I think it might be more accurate to say Kirk masterfully played Washington. Considering how inept that organization became under Snyder, I’m not certain this should be noted as a major achievement.
He played both DC & the Vikes. What has he really accomplished in Minnesota except making LOTS of cash?
Packer fan, please go back to “ProfootballTalk” where you belong!!
this lifelong vikings fan, who has been going to games since the mid-70s is done with them if they re-sign Kirk. just proves that 9-8 and just getting into the playoffs is their goal….you have to lose for one or two seasons to be great…drafting 18-24 every year is worthless if you have GMs who trade back at every chance….yeah, gotta love those 7th rounders
If Tannehill is a option the Vikings , much like America , is screwed.
I’m so glad that after 40 years of strongly supporting this team I stopped after they resigned Kirk last time… They will never win the SB with him at the helm.
Vikings gonna vikings lol.
Maybe I was watching a different Vikings team than the rest of you but I saw a more than capable QB carrying a bottom of the league defense these last 5 years or so. I get Kirk isn’t a world beater but I doubt most QBs in the league would have gone 13-3 with the swiss cheese that was last year’s defense.
Completely agree! And it’s not like any other real options are better than Kirk. Very few elite QBs in the league. Zero players this year in the draft, trade, or free agency that would be better than what we have in Kirk.
Kirk is one of the better QBs in the NFC now and the best in the division. Not his fault the defense has been bottom 5 or whatever every year he’s been there.
Exactly
“How Do U Like Me Now ?!”
Guess no matter how many times you hit the Vikings GM in the head he still sees talent in Kirk Cousins.
Not a Cousins fan – but the Vikings are delusional if they think that Cousins is holding them back. Bring back Teddy Bridgewater if you need a reality check.
If he takes well below market, sure why not? Is he worth 40M+? No, because you don’t have a chance of winning with him being so overpaid and eating up that much cap. If his cap figure is 20M moving forward, regardless of what he actually gets paid, you can build a team around that.
Why would Kirk even consider a below market offer when the alternative for the Vikes is Nick Mullens?