ESPN’s Kirk Cousins Prediction Matches Rumor Mill
Dustin Baker
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Believe it or not, Minnesota Vikings fans could be experiencing the final days of a longtime QB1. Everyone has a Kirk Cousins prediction, and according to ESPN, the 35-year-old could bounce next week.
ESPN’s Kirk Cousins Prediction Matches Rumor Mill
Cousins has quarterbacked the Vikings since 2018, leading the franchise to two postseason trips in six years and one playoff win. Now, he’ll test free agency on Monday if Minnesota doesn’t finalize an extension.
Over the last few days, Vegas odds have moved the Atlanta Falcons to the spot of “favorites” for the Cousins sweepstakes, a rapid switch from Minnesota as the frontrunner since the dawn of the offseason eight weeks ago. Semi-credible NFL chirping, too, has claimed the Falcons would be the new employer if Cousins bolts.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert echoed the end-of-days sentiment on Tuesday. He wrote, “If history is a reliable guide, Kirk Cousins is down to his final days as the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback. It’s not difficult to connect the dots of conventional wisdom at this point, and the only realistic factor to the contrary is the possibility — however remote it might be — that Cousins will make the type of decision he has never made before.”
If not, Atlanta, the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders have been considered destinations for Cousins, too.
“A strong argument could be made for parting ways with an aging quarterback who is working his way back from the first major injury of his career. Bidding farewell to Cousins would free the Vikings from the six-year strain of having his deal on their books, but it would also expose their lack of a succession plan and raise the very real possibility that he will be replaced by someone who performs worse than he will in Atlanta or elsewhere in the coming seasons,” Seifert added.
Cousins would fit beautifully in Atlanta. The Falcons possess offensive weapons itching for full deployment, a tactic inexplicably held back by Arthur Smith. Put simply, Cousins could feed Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and Drake London all day on Sundays — every Sunday. Some considered it a crime, mainly fantasy football managers, for Smith to blatantly ignore his playmakers as a habit.
Seifert wound down his article with a mention of the draft: “The timing of Cousins’ departure would coincide with a strong draft class of quarterbacks, but with the No. 11 overall pick, the Vikings almost certainly would need a trade up — and sacrifice future draft picks — to select one from the top tier of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye.”
Cousins will turn 36 in August and can probably fetch $40-$50 million per year from the Falcons.
Atlanta’s new coach, Raheem Morris, was also coworkers with Cousins during the quarterback’s first three seasons in Washington.
The Vikings still have time to re-sign Cousins, but if ESPN is correct — it feels like the end is nigh.
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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