The Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes Took a Turn on Sunday Night
All things Kirk Cousins news may soon be a distant memory for the Minnesota Vikings.
Kirk Cousins News: The Sweepstakes Swerved on Sunday Night
The purple team didn’t re-sign the veteran passer last year, scheduling a march toward free agency during the 2024 offseason, which fans have lived for the previous nine weeks.
Now, according to NFL Network, Cousins will indeed test open free agency on Monday when “legal tampering” begins while still keeping the Vikings available as an apparent fallback option. Tom Pelissero tweeted Sunday evening, “The Vikings and Kirk Cousins remain in communication, but it appears the four-time Pro Bowl QB will test the free-agent market, which opens at noon ET on Monday.”
Legal tampering begins Monday at 11:00 am CST. Cousins can officially talk to other teams then.
Moments after the Pelissero tweet, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini tweeted an update, too, “The Vikings are having internal conversations about their offer to Kirk Cousins. They haven’t been informed by Cousins’ camp about his decision, per sources. There’s a feeling around the team that the QB wants to stay a Viking but this will come down to structure of the deal.”
The Vikings’ leaders — the ownership, general manager, and head coach — have stated for over a year their desire for Cousins to return for a seventh season. However, Cousins is absolutely notorious for accruing large sums of guaranteed cash — with no exceptions. And turning age 36 in five months, Minnesota may not want to guarantee a long-term contract for an older quarterback with a bad Achilles. That’s the working theory, anyway.
Last season, Cousins’ sixth in charge of the Vikings’ offense, Minnesota started the year 0-3 but valiantly battled back to the tune of a 4-4 record after Week 8. But at Lambeau Field, Cousins suffered the Achilles injury, ending his season and perhaps career in the North Star State.
The Vikings’ offense never fully recovered after Cousins’ injury.
Then, during this offseason, the rumor mill screamed for multiple new Cousins destinations. Since January, the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, and even Washington Commanders [again] have been theorized as landing spots.
If Cousins bolts to Atlanta or elsewhere, Minnesota will need a quarterback, probably from the draft in 6.5 weeks. Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), and Bo Nix (Oregon) are expected to go off the board in Rounds 1 and 2.
During Cousins’ last two extensions, he signed deals on the night before legal tampering got underway. That does not appear on the way on Sunday night this time, a signal he could actually join a new team on Monday or Tuesday.
The Falcons lead the pack per sportsbooks’ odds for Cousins’ next team.
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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