Kirk Cousins’ Theoretical Return Called “Lock of Offseason”
NFL free agency begins on March 11th with a “legal tampering” phase — also known as three weeks from today.
Kirk Cousins’ Theoretical Return Called “Lock of Offseason”
The Minnesota Vikings enter the offseason with approximately $25 million in cap space and decisions afoot on Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, and about 25 other free agents. The team’s 2024 strategy starts with Cousins’ extension, or lack thereof, as the choice at QB1 naturally sets the tone for the offseason.
And according to one NFL analyst, Cousins’ return in purple for a seventh season is the “lock of the offseason.” Yahoo Sports’ Dalton Del Don said last week on Yahoo’s Fantasy Football Podcast, “This, to me, is the lock of the offseason, Cousins returning to Minnesota. He says he’s been blessed with the amount of money his family could ever use. He wants to finish the job there.”
Cousins’ next contract, whether in Minnesota or elsewhere, is expected to fetch between $35 million and $45 million per season. Vikings fans have pondered Cousins’ future for six weeks and arrived at a 50-50 split regarding his future. Few would be surprised either way about his purple outcome — staying or leaving.
“I believe the coaching staff loves him. They were great with him. They beat the Niners when Cousins was healthy last year. I think it’s a lock, Cousins returns to Minnesota. I would be shocked if this doesn’t happen,” Del Don added.
This is one of the most emphatic predictions to date about Cousins’ future, as most Vikings loyalists and NFL pundits shrug shoulders when asked about the offseason domino.
If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t re-sign Cousins, or even if he does, the club could need a quarterback in April. 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.
Notably, reporters asked Cousins in January about his theoretical return to Minnesota and if he’d accept a “hometown discount.” The 35-year-old replied, “That’s a great question and one I’ve thought about pretty much my whole 12 years. I do think it’s important to be aware of. I think that God has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams. So at this stage in my career, the dollars are really not what it’s about.”
Cousins was on pace for 5,000 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions before an Achilles tear ended his 2023 campaign last October.
“I had a coach who I was with who was a younger coach at the time. This was back eight, nine years ago, before my first franchise tag, and we were talking about the situation and he made a great comment. He said, ‘Kirk, it’s not about the dollars, but it is about what the dollars represent.’ I thought that was an interesting comment that he made. There will always be some of that,” Cousins added about six weeks ago.
The Vikings haven’t experienced a quarterback start eight games or more in seven consecutive seasons since Fran Tarkenton — about 50 years ago.
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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