Kirk Cousins’ First Free Agent Address Is Confirmed
Janik Eckardt
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The Minnesota Vikings are awaiting the free agency decision of quarterback Kirk Cousins. All their plans in the next few months will hinge on his next career step. Does he stay in Minnesota, and the franchise will continue to pursue a playoff run with him, or does he move on, and the organization will plan accordingly for the future?
Kirk Cousins’ First Free Agent Address Is Confirmed
The passer will have some suitors in free agency, but the purple team is still talking to him and his agent. A return for a seventh season in purple is possible. Once the legal tampering window opens, however, the veteran will go ahead and talk to some other teams. His top destination has always been the Atlanta Falcons — a decent squad but no quarterback to lead it.
With an hour to go before he and his camp are allowed to have contract talks with them, it has been confirmed by Dianna Russini that the Falcons are on top of his list. She tweeted: “Kirk Cousins will hit free agency and begin discussions with Atlanta as soon as the tampering window opens in 90 minutes, per sources.”
Everyone knows that teams and agents engage in talks at the scouting combine, and it would be quite shocking if they haven’t had any talks yet. However, from now on, they can legally do it.
A contract can be signed on Wednesday, which is also the day his contract voids and a $28.5 million cap hit is slapped on Minnesota’s books, which will hurt general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in his task to find a successor for the vacant QB spot and other holes mainly on the defensive side of the ball.
However, the Vikings knew that this could be the case when they kicked a significant portion of last year’s cap hit into 2024 to acquire more talent. They could do the same with a new contract.
Cousins has been in Minnesota for six seasons, but this could very well be the end of his tenure. Throughout those campaigns, he threw for 171 touchdowns and 55 touchdowns. Often lamented is the lack of team success, which, unfortunately, is a fitting talker, although he is obviously not the only man to blame for that. The front office, the coaching staff, and his teammates deserve some of that, too, but as the quarterback, he is labeled as the man who couldn’t get it done. An unfair but understandable process.
Whether he returns for a seventh ride or departs, a successor must be found as he will turn 36 in August, and the franchise must plan ahead. Selecting a passer in the draft is the obvious answer. The 11th overall pick could be used, and some future picks could be mortgaged to secure a higher draft choice.
The Falcons are interesting for Cousins for various reasons. They will run an offense coordinated by another Sean McVay disciple, so there will be many similarities. In addition, Atlanta employs many dynamic weapons, and on a personal level, his wife is from Atlanta.
Cousins is the first main domino to fall in Minnesota, so the front office knows how aggressive they should be in improving other areas of the roster.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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