Kirk Cousins’ Asking Price Is Higher Than You’d Think
It probably won’t be “team-friendly” or a “hometown discount.”
Kirk Cousins’ Asking Price Is Higher Than You’d Think
Some Minnesota Vikings fans have been skittish about the club possibly re-signing quarterback Kirk Cousins. The man will be 36 by the time the 2024 regular season rolls around and is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, one of the sport’s most serious injuries. Accordingly, a popular sentiment has emerged — maybe Cousins will come back for cheap.
Well, he’s never done cheap anything, and it appears that he won’t start in season No. 13. Pioneer Press Charley Walters recently wrote about Cousins’ upcoming free agency, “The buzz now is that it will take $90 million guaranteed for two years, despite that he’s still not yet fully recovered from Achilles surgery in November, to sign free agent QB Kirk Cousins. If that’s the case, he certainly won’t get that from the Vikings.”
And while buzz is subjective, of course, Cousins requesting $45 million per season sounds much more on brand than accepting a deal for two years and $60 million, for example. Despite a fine-tuned “dad persona,” Cousins and his representation are absolutely shrewd business entities, stacking fat stacks of guaranteed cash via every contract since 2016.
Walters also added, although basically moot now, “Meanwhile, if Brock Purdy falters Sunday against the Lions, Cousins’ admirer with the 49ers, coach Kyle Shanahan, could push for him.” Purdy didn’t falter — he and the 49ers did the opposite against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night — and his 49ers are heading to Super Bowl LVIII, ending any would-be Cousins to 49ers rumors.
Cousins is scheduled to embark on the free-agent market in six weeks if he and the Vikings front office can’t reach an extension agreement. The 35-year-old tore his Achilles on October 29th at the Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota finished the season 3-6 without him. The Vikings’ leadership has hinted since last year its desire to re-sign Cousins for a seventh season, but as always with the incumbent quarterback, money is the sticking point. The next handful of weeks will determine if Minnesota and Cousins’ representation can meet financially in the middle.
Vikings fans, meanwhile, are ready to move from the veteran passer if his deal becomes too rich. We polled “VikingsTwitter,” a motley crew of devoted fans, about their preference for the future, and about 60% are ready to move on if Cousins’ asking price is too high.
Ending the Cousins era would all but guarantee that Minnesota uses a 1st-Round draft pick on a quarterback in April. Otherwise, the club would have to pull off a splashy trade for a player like Justin Fields or Kyler Murray.
Cousins was trending toward 5,000 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2023 before the Achilles injury. The Vikings had also just repaired their season on the fly the week prior, toppling the San Francisco 49ers and en route to a flogging of the Packers in Week 8.
If the Vikings do not re-sign Cousins, they’ll presumably need a quarterback from the 2024 NFL Draft. 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 Round 1.
The Vikings and Cousins should render a verdict on his future next month or early March.
… And That’s It for Former Vikings QB
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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