Vikings Fans Not Ready for a Goodbye with QB1
For the first time in seven years, the Minnesota Vikings could have a new quarterback under center in September. The situation hinges on Kirk Cousins’ impending free agency.
Vikings Fans Not Ready for a Goodbye with QB1
The problem? Most Vikings fans aren’t ready to say goodbye to Cousins — or at least will be downtrodden if Cousins departs.
We polled Vikings faithful on X this week, and over 55% of respondents claimed they would be “genuinely downtrodden” if Cousins left the franchise in the next several weeks.
The poll was unscientific, and 2,365 people voted.
During the initial part of the offseason, Kirk Cousins told reporters that “structure” was the most influential factor in his forthcoming decision to re-sign with the Vikings. That is: the number of years perhaps outweighed the dollars attached to the contract. But the team may not be comfortable obliging a contract longer than a year. Cousins will turn 36 in August and is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2023 season at Lambeau Field last October.
The Vikings also had the opportunity to re-sign Cousins last offseason but curiously relented, and now the veteran passer is a year older and coming back from a serious injury.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentioned the Cousins sweepstakes on the Unsportsmanlike podcast this week, “Let’s just say, hypothetically. I’m making this up. Minnesota is willing to pay Kirk Cousins $45 million a year. And the Atlanta Falcons are willing to pay Kirk Cousins $50 million a year. And you’re Kirk Cousins — how do you want to handle that?”
The Falcons are considered the betting frontrunner to land Cousins’ services if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah holds off on an extension and Cousins hits the open market.
Schefter added, “That’s the job of his agent, to report back to him and say, ‘Ok. Kirk. Here’s the landscape that you can’t be tagged. It looks as high as Minnesota is willing to go as high as this. There might be a team or two that can get to this. What do you want to do?’ And there’s your decision, wherever he wants to go.”
When Cousins was injured four months ago, he was on pace for 5,000 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions — also known as fringe MVP numbers. On paper, it feels like a no-brainer to re-up with a man possessing that production, but the Vikings have employed Cousins for six years and only reached the playoffs twice on his watch.
Vikings fan Rich Funk replied to the poll, “I’m not necessarily excited to move on from Kirk himself because yeah he’s good and great dude. But, I’ll be excited for the future like I’ve done many times before.”
Cousins ranks second on the Vikings’ all-timer touchdown pass leaderboard and third in passing yards.
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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