Sep 12, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) during the the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports.
During the initial part of the offseason, Kirk Cousins told reporters that “structure” was the most important factor in his impending decision to re-sign with the Minnesota Vikings. That is: the number of years perhaps outweighed the dollars attached to the contract.
He told reporters six weeks ago about a potential “hometown discount” in Minnesota, “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.”
If Cousins does not re-up with the Vikings, he can chat with any team in the NFL about a 2024 contract in 19 days.
“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 said in early January.
Cousins also added, “Structure is probably more important.”
Now, with free agency a hop, skip, and jump away, ESPN’s Adam Schefter hinted Tuesday that Cousins’ decision, after all, might come down to money. The 35-year-old is notorious for fetching fully guaranteed contracts — never affordable ones — and this go-round may be no different.
Schefter mentioned the Cousins sweepstakes on the Unsportsmanlike podcast, “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?”
Cousins tore his Achilles tendon last October, ending his season at Lambeau Field and effectively terminating the Vikings’ chances at playoff contendership. At the time, he was on pace for 5,000 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
It should also be noted that “$45 or $50 million” is a vast departure from the January “hometown discount” talker.
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.”
The Falcons are at the top of the rumor mill for Cousins’ next team, after Minnesota, of course. These are the current DraftKings odds for Cousins’ next employer.
If Cousins chases the bag, the theory referenced by Schefter, and does not return to Minnesota, the Vikings are expected to draft a quarterback in Round 1 of April’s draft, which is nine weeks away.
Cousins will turn 36 in August. The only quarterback in NFL history who started winning Super Bowls at age 36 or older was John Elway.
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.