First, It Was CBS Sports. Now Another Entity Has Same Warning for Vikings.
Either many, many NFL brains will be very, very right about Kirk Cousins – or they will be very, very wrong.
The offseason is a telling one for Cousins, who is scheduled to carry a $45 million cap hit in 2022. Cousins’ contract extension from 2020 was backloaded, plopping “affordable” yearly sums at the front of the deal while pushing the comeuppance off until, well, now. Some sort of resolution is mandatory as the Vikings cannot afford to employ Cousins at $45 million, an absurd figure for the 11th-best passer in the NFL per an average of quarterback metrics.
Last week, Jason La Canfora from CBS Sports warned about extending Cousins, instead recommending the Vikings allow him to finish out only his final year. La Canfora prophesied Minnesota could still win the NFC North without Cousins, Danielle Hunter, and Adam Thielen – an odd theory because suddenly winning a division for the first time in six seasons seems wonky after trading the team’s top players. But, to each their own.
Joining La Canfora in the “don’t do it” territory on a Cousins extension? Bleacher Report – and, in particular, David Kenyon. And he was arguably more forceful. Kenyon wrote a piece about one move every franchise should avoid this offseason. For Kenyon, that was the avoidance of committing to Cousins for longer:
“Quarterback purgatory is a terrifying place. During the last four seasons, the Vikings have notched a 33-31-1 record. Kirk Cousins has consistently impressed on paper, but reality has told a more complex story. His impressive numbers have translated to a single playoff appearance. With no hesitation, Cousins should be Minnesota’s starting quarterback in 2022. And, also without hesitation, he should not be offered a contract extension at any point before the season begins. If he reaches a level of untapped effectiveness under new head coach Kevin O’Connell, fantastic! If not, it’s valuable to have not committed $40-plus million annually to a mid-tier QB.”
– David Kenynon | Bleacher Report
While Kenyon is not incorrect about Cousins, the working theory suggests Minnesota’s new regime could mold Cousins like Mathew Stafford – as Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell did in Los Angeles.
The Vikings aren’t entering the 2022 season with a “let’s be 8-9 again, folks!” slogan but rather hellbent on utilizing Cousins in a different, more advantageous offense – one pioneered by O’Connell. So, when Kenyon talks about purgatory, just know that’s not the goal. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell probably believe the organization can thrive with Cousins – not stroke mediocrity until the cows come home.
If one needs evidence for the vision – look at Detroit, Los Angeles, and Matthew Stafford. Per Stafford’s hush-hush “quarterback record,” he stinks. He isn’t good if you trust that half-buttocks metric. 86-95-1 is his personal, Wimbledon-like record.
When he arrived in Tinseltown, Stafford was unlocked by an offensive brain and star-studded teammates. Stafford does not possess Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers’ talent. He’s damn good but not elite. This is the same arrangement with Cousins – damn good but not elite.
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The Vikings could reasonably trade Cousins. But if they keep the man around to partner with O’Connell and his friends, the objective isn’t purgatory.
The Zimmer and Cousins combination became purgatory. However, lassoing Cousins into blame as the sole proprietor of mediocrity is shortsighted.
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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