NFL Analyst Claims Vikings Are “Playing a Dangerous Game”
It is a major topic in Minnesota until it is resolved one way or another. With Kirk Cousins entering free agency in March, the Vikings are currently without any certainty at the most important position for the first time since 2018, when they landed the coveted passer, signing him to a three-year contract. His future is a mystery, but one guy is convinced the Vikings aren’t handling the situation well.
NFL Analyst Claims Vikings Are “Playing a Dangerous Game”
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk is not only a writer and hosts a daily show but also a Vikings fan. He had been ready to move on from Cousins for years, yet somehow, a single win versus the 49ers last season changed his mind. After that game, he was ready for the Vikes to keep him under contract for years to come, and even the Achilles tear and his age haven’t changed his stance so far.
Because of conversations he had during the Super Bowl week, he is unhappy with how Minnesota handles the QB’s situation. Mentioning the Steelers and Falcons as the two teams to watch should he enter the open market, he also stated on his show that the guys in charge, owners Mark and Zygi Wilf, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and head coach Kevin O’Connell, are “playing a dangerous game of chicken.”
The timeline is pretty interesting for the Vikings as nobody is officially allowed to talk to Cousins and his camp before the official legal tempering window opens on March 11, but agents and team officials always have some chats at the draft combine. This year’s event will begin on February 26. Florio, though, is certain the Vikings would lose Cousins if they don’t sign him to a new deal prior to that date: “If they want him they’re screwing this up because if they wait to see what someone else will offer before they make their best offer, they will have waited too long.”
The Vikings are playing a dangerous game of chicken here if they want him. Maybe they don’t and they’re looking for a way to ease out of it. But if they want him, Zygi, Mark, Kevin, Kwesi, you’re going to blow it. You need to get it done now. You definitely need to get it done before Mike McCartney, his agent, goes to Indianapolis and has all the tampering meetings that we know are going to occur.
Because he’s going to come out of Indy knowing exactly what the Falcons will pay, exactly what anyone else will pay and it’s going to be too late. I guarantee you. You got 10 days, Vikings. You got 10 days. The clock is ticking. You got 10 days. If you wait, Kirk’s going to be gone. And if you don’t want him, that’s fine. But if you want him, you better get your asses moving.
Mike Florio
The Vikings virtually have two options to deal with the quarterback situation in the next couple of months: They can either re-sign the veteran or aim to draft his successor in April. Obviously, his large salary is just as much a problem as the fact that he will surely ask for another fully guaranteed deal while the Vikings are hesitant to secure a big contract for a soon-to-be 36-year-old coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Cousins has shown his worth for years, but it was underlined when he missed the season’s final nine games, and a catastrophic QB carousel unfolded with turnover-prone backups all over the place.
Notable is that the passer stated that those talks usually don’t begin until late February or early March — too late, according to Florio’s timeline.
If Cousins indeed departs from the organization after six years, he will stay second on the all-time passing touchdowns list and third in the yardage column.
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
You must be logged in to post a comment.