Insider Believes Kirk Cousins’ Decision Is Down to 2 Teams
Kirk Cousins signed a huge deal in 2018, guaranteeing him three years of salary, an unprecedented element in the NFL. Nowadays, that contract structure is normal around the league, and the passers’ paychecks continue to rise. Cousins didn’t even sniff the top ten QBs in the league in 2023. There should be significant demand for the signal-caller in the offseason.
Insider Believes Kirk Cousins’ Decision Is Down to 2 Teams
The Vikings must be quick when free agency arrives. Cousins must sign a potential extension before his contract voids to avoid the cap hits of the void years to cut into the cap in 2024. After that happens on March 13, it would be borderline malpractice to re-sign the veteran because of an absurd cap hit.
Because the purple team doesn’t have any heir apparent on the roster, they will likely be interested in keeping him for another year or two, but other teams will also be in the mix. NFL insider Ari Meirov from The 33rd Team is convinced there are only two realistic teams.
Meirov shared on X: “The Falcons are very interesting. Kirk Cousins’ wife is from Atlanta, and he’s mentioned in the past that he likes playing in domed stadiums. They would make some sense if Minnesota can’t bring him back.”
He also added a video of him talking to analysts Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson. The trio agreed on the two teams. And Atlanta, indeed, makes sense for various reasons. They are believed to be a quarterback away from competing for a Super Bowl with a solid defense and some strong weapons on offense. Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder were liabilities in the previous campaign.
After three straight seasons finishing 7-10, they pulled the trigger and fired head coach Arthur Smith. His replacement is former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who won a Super Bowl with offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. They also play in a dome, an environment passers prefer, and in a poor division. In 2022, eight wins clinched the division, and it required only nine in 2023. Cousins’ wife Julie is from Atlanta, adding more fuel to the rumors.
Meirov believes the contract duration could be a problem in negotiations between the Vikings and the QB’s camp: “I think both sides want each other back, especially because of the injury where he might not have the best market compared to what it was before the injury but at the same time, they way Cousins and his agent have operated up until now, is they want fully guaranteed deals and the big question really becomes the years element. How many years is he going to get? He’ll be 36 at the start of next season. Is Minnesota and their GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah comfortable going two or three years fully guaranteed?”
Cousins is famous for getting those guaranteed deals, but the Vikings should be hesitant this time. He will turn 36 before the season begins, and a decline is quite possible in 2024. His injury only adds to that risk.
The Vikings must decide if they are comfortable giving away a contract that is guaranteed two or three years down the road and doesn’t leave them an option to end the relationship if the decline happens. They certainly don’t want to be stuck paying more than $40 million per year for an underwhelming QB.
Money can always be an issue, but it shouldn’t be one this time. Both sides have stated the intention to get a deal done. However, the length of the contract and the probably demanded guarantees could be a problem when the two parties meet at the negotiation table.
Besides Minnesota and Atlanta, Pittsburgh and New England could be two additional teams to be in the market for the veteran QB.
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
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