Carson Wentz Is on the Move, and Kirk Cousins Is Still Available.
Dustin Baker
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The world blinked, and Carson Wentz became a journeyman quarterback.
Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, ending a brief and wildly disappointing stint with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts will reportedly receive mid-round picks while Washington eats all of Wentz’s infamous contract.
The news hits as many believed the offseason quarterback carousel would be underwhelming. Aaron Rodgers stayed put, Deshaun Watson doesn’t feel close to legal resolution, and the first month of quarterback trade chatter was only that — chatter.
Then, Tuesday hit, and Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos for a mountain of players and draft capital.
Welcome to Wednesday, when Wentz was traded for the second time in as many years. Meanwhile, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is still inside the rumor mill.
In fairness to the rumor mill, Cousins was never going to be traded to Washington as Cousins already spent six seasons with the Commanders, some of which were marred by financial disagreement and overall cultural tomfoolery.
If Cousins wasn’t the last man standing yesterday in the trade vault — outside of Watson and his legal turmoil — he certifiably is now. Too, Cousins is markedly more consistent than Wentz, who hasn’t experienced a productive season since 2019.
Roughly seven NFL teams need-need a quarterback. That selection can occur in free agency, the NFL draft, or via trade. Indeed, the Buccaneers, Colts, Panthers, Saints, Seahawks, Steelers, and Texans have no cogent plan at QB1 as of early March. Those are the teams to monitor if Cousins and new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah cannot strike a deal.
Think of it this way — if a team is willing to trade for Wentz, one of those seven teams will assuredly try Cousins on for size.
Everything about Cousins’ immediate future is a numbers game — how much money he wants versus how much the Vikings will spend. And the demand via trade partners who would pony up draft capital.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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