Future Hall of Famer Thinks Kirk Cousins Will Be Traded
Dustin Baker
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When Rob Gronkowski talks, folks either listen or laugh — or both.
You can decide which is best suited for you, as the future Hall of Famer weighed in on Kirk Cousins’ status with the Minnesota Vikings this week.
Future Hall of Famer Thinks Kirk Cousins Will Be Traded
The Vikings are 0-2 through Week 2, sizing up a must-win contest on Sunday versus the Los Angeles Chargers, a team also beset by a winless record. The working theory, for some, is that Cousins could be traded if Minnesota’s season tumbles into further futility.
And Gronkowski is a subscriber to the theory. He told the Up & Adams Show this week, “For the Vikings, if they go 0-3, there’s going to be some serious change at the quarterback position. They have a good team, but they can’t finish, they can’t win games. Their head coach is going to be staying there, he’s only in his second year, but I feel like Kirk Cousins will be shipped out.”
After Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1, the New York Jets became a popular landing spot for Cousins-themed trade rumors.
“Somebody’s going to want to trade for him that’s a playoff contender. He’s a good player, he’s putting up the stats, he’s playing well. Kirk Cousins will get shipped out, and they’ll be building for the future, hopefully, tank for Caleb Williams out of USC next year,” Gronkowski added.
Gronkowski could be on to something — if Minnesota’s record hits 1-6 or 1-7 by the NFL’s trade deadline on Halloween. Otherwise, the Vikings aren’t likely to trade Cousins, who has a no-trade clause in his current contract.
Plus, in Gronkowski’s defense, his Cousins trade idea sounds like a “hot take” or “bold prediction” rather than an earnest or inevitable prophecy. The Vikings mailing it in after a hypothetical 0-3 start seems a little panicky, especially for a team that is a fixed fumble problem away from self-sufficiency.
The Vikings have lost seven turnovers in two games while forcing just one takeaway. And arguably, that turnover split alone prevented Minnesota from winning both games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.
The 2023 season is scheduled as Cousins’ last in Minnesota on paper, at least for now. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensad did not extend the 35-year-old this offseason, tentatively slating Cousins for a date with free agency in six months.
Cousins leads the NFL in touchdown passes and is second in passing yards as of September 22nd.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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