Anonymous NFL Exec Undercuts Leading Vikings QB Theory
Every so often, the anonymous NFL execs weigh-in on hot button issues. The recent article from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler demonstrates as much.
The Vikings are moving into a pivotal offseason largely due to the mess at quarterback. Put simply, J.J. McCarthy wasn’t good enough in his first kick at the can as Minnesota’s starter. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell alongside General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have publicly spoken about the need to infuse the QB position with competition. According to some opinion, Kirk Cousins won’t be available to provide that competition even if he makes sense for the Vikings.
The NFL Exec on Kirk Cousins in Atlanta
Start off with the groundwork, some details to clarify where Atlanta finds itself with Cousins.
Consider what Fowler says: “The sense for a while has been that Cousins’ time in Atlanta was short — especially when both sides restructured his contract that includes $67.9 million in 2027 salary, vesting March 13. The Falcons will want nothing to do with that number.”
Further: “But contracts can be amended — or players can be cut and re-signed — and the arrival of coach Kevin Stefanski could make keeping Cousins at least mildly tempting as a bridge option.” The new HC and old QB have a history: “Stefanski was Cousins’ offensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2019, when Cousins completed nearly 70% of his passes for 3,603 yards, 26 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Cousins knows Stefanski’s wide-zone scheme well.”
Afterwards, the anonymous NFL exec offers up an opinion.
There’s a reflection on Michael Penix Jr. being injured with a serious knee injury, a reality that makes it difficult to forecast what the Falcons can do at QB1. There’s then the idea about possibly keeping Cousins to function as a stopgap, injury insurance should Penix not be ready for September.
The NFL exec: “‘”They are going to need somebody early in the season due to the injury, and Cousins played OK for them late last year. It seems Cousins has always respected Kevin [Stefanski]. Both sides have a decent option in their back pockets.'”
From a front office perspective, retaining Kirk Cousins makes a pile of sense. He works hard and offers a sturdy floor. The veteran is well-respected by coaches, teammates, and opponents. He still has a sneaky strong arm; not prime Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, or Patrick Mahomes, though he’s capable of pushing the ball down the field.
But then Fowler comes through with some common sense insight, explicitly bringing the Vikings into the mix: “The flip side: Cousins might want out after two years of uncertainty in Atlanta, and he has a mechanism to make that happen with the contract revision. Perhaps he wants to make himself available to Minnesota or others.”
Indeed, therein lies the key: the desire from Kirk Cousins.
At 38 in August, Mr. Cousins is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He still has the desire to prove people wrong by winning it all. What has often stood in the way of that ambition — pushing a team toward the Super Bowl — has been Cousins’ desire to make top dollar, lessening his team’s capacity to spend on other positions.
Cousins is coming off a 2025 where he completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Competent, steady football.
At a modest price, Kirk Cousins makes sense for Minnesota insofar as he’s capable of filling the QB1/QB2 job. Put differently, he’s a quarterback who can offer strong ability in either the starter or backup role. Cousins can do so as a player who is reasonably effective on the field and who is excellent when it comes to the intangibles.
The new league year begins in March of 2026. The decision surrounding Kirk Cousins will need to get made at that time, at the latest.
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