Now that their season has come to an end, the Vikings can really buckle down on extension negotiations with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. These aren’t new conversations, as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made his team’s intentions known back in November, after the 35-year-old passer tore his Achilles tendon, taking him out for the year. At the time, Cousins, too, reiterated his desire to stay in Minnesota, but now that it’s time to start negotiating, the structure of the deal will apparently be an important focus moving forward, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. 
While some may look at Cousin’s age and question why the Vikings would want to commit to someone in their late 30s, Cousins was playing some of the best football of his career before his injury. He was averaging 291.4 passing yards per game and led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns when he got hurt. Through eight games, Cousins was on pace to set a number of career-highs, if he kept pace. Pair that with the blossoming of rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison as a strong WR2 to pair with star Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn, and the prospects for Minnesota’s season could’ve projected fairly high.
Even before the injury, things were trending in the direction of Cousins remaining in Minnesota. After a 1-4 start to the season, some thought that Cousins would become a popular trade target, with some quarterback hungry teams, like the Jets, reaching out to inquire about him. Despite the early-season struggles, the Vikings made it clear that Cousins was not available.
With that being determined, though, Minnesota is now on the clock to hash out a new deal with Cousins before the start of the 2024 league year on March 14. If the Vikings are unable to extend Cousins by then, they will be forced to confront $28.5MM in dead money, a consequence of the void-year money used to spread out the cost of his current contract over time.
Even though both sides seem amenable to a deal, the structure concern is not a small one. Cousins has become the posterchild for paradigm contracts with fully guaranteed money. Interestingly, though, Cousins told reporters that “the dollars are really not what it’s about.” His focus on structure is reportedly everything else determined in the deal. While he’ll seemingly still want a respectable number sent his way, Cousins claims that he’ll be looking at the other parts of the deal (length, incentives, bonuses, etc.) more.
Currently, Cousins ranks 15th among active quarterbacks in average annual contract value with $35MM per year. It’s really hard to determine what kind of new extension offers will be floated his way based on the above information. For once in his career, though, it seems like Cousins may be accepting non-guaranteed money in a new contract.
they are not bringing him back at anything more than 30 million for ONE year. they are the 4th best team in the division .. Detroit and Chicago are built for 5 years at least. the Vikings have zero depth, as we all saw for the last 7 games. it’s purge time in Eagan, MN
He’s not signing a one year deal.
You don’t know ball. Go tell your kids you love them.
No team is built 5 years out. Retirements, FA defections, trade requests, injuries, change in coaching staffs that ‘was their own players’, bust draft picks etc.
What? Are you drinking rubbing alcohol???
Smart move to bring him back as he was having a great season before he got injured.
Smart move would be using the Packers approach and having a capable heir in place to tutor during the veteran QBs waning years. Vikings are just postponing what will be a painful rebuild.
Teams don’t have the balls to do what the packers have done in drafting a QB and letting him sit for a few years to let him develop.
That was the standard approach for decades but now a prospect out of college is just thrown into the deep end of the pool and expected to swim without effort.
Every player except Watson has accepted non guaranteed money in a new contract…
“Through eight games, Cousins was on pace to set a number of career-highs, if he kept pace.”
How can someone who writes for a living think this was an acceptable sentence to publish?
Are you a woman? You are very angry.
They probably can’t afford him. Send Kirk to Patriots for some picks
He’s a FA. Use your big brain today
They want to bring him back though dummy
How do you a trade a FA?
Is that knowledge you acquire with your extra chromosome?
He’s still under contract until league year starts in March buddy. Again you sound dumb
Wait.. so the patriots would trade picks for a guy they can sign without giving up capital in 2 months.
Ya. I see them jumping all over that.
It’s okay to accept defeat. Your parents did long ago.
So much angst and edge for a keyboard champion I’m almost convinced you don’t live in a basement lol
Best QB in Vikings history & a good chunk of the fan base wants to chase him out of town. Yall could give an aspirin a headache.
Kirk – 40 mil 2 years 3rd year mutual option.
And say thank you, you mouth breathing chuds.
I agree. I would love to have him in Pittsburgh.
You do know that there was a QB named Tarkenton right?? HOF He was the greatest QB in team history
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:
6,467
Passing completions:
3,686
Completion percentage:
57%
TD–INT:
342–266
Passer rating:
80.4
Passing yards:
47,003
Rushing yards:
3,674
Rushing touchdowns:
32
LOL. Fran tarkenton.
Better tell the nurse it’s time to change your diaper gramps.
“Bravely” written, junior.
“Pair that with the blossoming of rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison”
Better review the tape on the glut of interceptions thrown down the stretch
and you will find blame can be placed on Addison, as opposed to the QB.
“Vikings Intend To Bring Back QB Kirk Cousins”
At least that is what the GM is saying now until they get JJ signed to an extension.
JJ is not going to sign an extension if it means he has to “break in” a rookie QB.
Having the opportunity to draft at #11 gives the Vikes an opportunity to possibly land a good future QB at an affordable contract price (unless they land the next Christian Ponder) while Mullins, Dobbs, and Cousins explore other opportunities.
The Vikes have historically had premier WRs whose abilities elevate the performance of whatever QB they have throwing to them.
Jefferson is just 24 years old. If he isn’t going to “break in” a rookie QB that means the Vikings have to keep Cousins around until Kirk is about 42 years old. That would be a situation the Packers, Lions and Bears would fully support.
“You like that !!!”
Can’t waste the best years of Jefferson and Addison , TE