The First Domino of the Vikings Offseason Tumbles
Mitchel Massman
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It’s official. Kirk Cousins will be the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Vikings and Cousins agreed to a one-year $35 million fully guaranteed extension. This is the first domino to fall under Adofo-Mensah’s leadership.
The intention of the Vikings’ leadership was to build a contender this year. Extending Cousins is the first step to building a team that can win, and it was expected. Kevin O’Connell has spoken highly of Cousins since his opening press conference. He repeatedly stated how he wants to build a team around him and bring out the best in him.
However, it seems as though this extension is one geared more towards creating cap space than real trust in Cousins. A one-year deal seems like a type of “prove it” deal while lowering his cap number in 2022. This is not really a surprise either, as it seems that Cousins is not the guy to take them to a championship. Although, Cousins is their best option to winning in the here and now.
What’s in the Contract?
The point of extending Kirk Cousins was to lower his cap number in 2022. With the Vikings scheduled to be over the cap by about $15 million, this seemed inevitable. There was always a chance that the Vikings tried to trade Cousins, but it appears that wasn’t going to happen.
Adam Schefter reported with the $35 million extension there are two voidable years to lower his cap number from $45 million to $31.25 million. This saves the Vikings roughly $14 million in 2022.
However, the Vikings also agreed to a no-trade clause. So unless Kirk agrees to drop the no-trade clause in 2023, he will be the quarterback for the next two years. Although, his cap number is what we need to focus on, and our pal Luke Braun broke it down for us:
With a cap number of $31.25 million in 2022 and $36.25 million in 2023, there is enough to make the moves necessary to improve the defense. However, it remains to be seen if this is enough cap room to make significant improvements to make them competitive enough.
Perhaps the Vikings will choose the route of drafting a WR and go on full-on Gunslinger mode.
What Does the Future Hold
With the Vikings only agreeing to a one-year contract, it becomes a race against time to find a suitable replacement. The 2022 QB draft class does not look nearly as promising compared to 2020, 2021, or the upcoming 2023 draft classes. This deal gives Kwesi two offseasons to figure out what the previous regime couldn’t – a true franchise quarterback.
Let’s face it. Kirk was never going to be playing on a $45 million cap number. He is the quarterback, and we all must get on board and hope for the best.
In the meantime, there are just over 12 hours until the tampering period begins. The Vikings still need to determine the future of several veterans. Restructuring the contracts of Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith seems inevitable now. Also, don’t be surprised if we see them trade a high-profile veteran like Thielen or Kendricks.
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