Vikings Evidently Have Top Free Agent on the Market
Dustin Baker
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NFL free agency begins in 19 days with the “legal tampering” period where players can officially-but-unofficially chat with teams about 2024 contracts.
Vikings Evidently Have Top Free Agent on the Market
The Minnesota Vikings have over 25 players slated to hit the open market, although when all is said and done, half or more will likely return in purple.
And according to CBS Sports‘ Pete Prisco, quarterback Kirk Cousins is at the very top of the list leaguewide for all of free agency. He’s the almighty prize. Prisco explained, “Cousins is a good quarterback, the kind who can take a good team to the Super Bowl and win it. He is coming off a torn Achilles tendon, but he should be ready for the open of the 2024 season, which makes him a starter of value in a league where teams crave that type of player under center.”
Minnesota can re-sign Cousins for a year, two, or three, as both parties (the Vikings’ front office and Cousins personally) have expressed a desire for a reunion. However, the two sides may be stuck on financial terms, with Cousins perhaps wanting more years than Minnesota is willing to grant. If that’s the case and neither side caves, Cousins would hit free agency for the first time since 2018.
Prisco added about Cousins topping his list, “Cousins has his faults for sure, but he’s rolled up big numbers in his career and the Vikings found out the cruel truth about his immense impact on their team when he was lost for the year. They would be wise to bring him back, but if he hits the market he is free-agent No. 1 in my book.”
Cousins was on pace in 2023 for 5,000 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions before an Achilles rupture at Lambeau Field ended his season. If he can replicate those numbers in Minnesota or elsewhere, indeed, he deserves placement at the top of the CBS list.
The Vikings signed Cousins six years ago, and he’s since tabulated impressive numbers, making him the Vikings’ second-leading passer of all-time per touchdown passes and third in passing yards. But Minnesota has reached the postseason twice in his six-year tenure, and in a league that absolutely adores “quarterback wins” as a valid statistic, two playoff trips is a whimper.
Prisco’s free-agent pecking order also dropped Danielle Hunter in the Top 5, explaining his impending free agency, “He had 16.5 sacks last season and remains a top edge player. The Vikings will likely do what they can to keep him because it’s hard to find good edge players.”
If Cousins departs in free agency, the Vikings will need a new QB1 via trade, free agency, or from the 2024 NFL Draft. Most Vikings loyalists believe the latter will be the spot.
Cousins is expected to fetch free-agent attention from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New England Patriots if Minnesota lets him leave.
He’ll turn 36 in four months.
Vikings Make First Free Agent Move
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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