Kirk Cousins Contract Talk Pops Up Again
This spring, there were multiple rumors regarding the future of Kirk Cousins.
Some wanted the QB to be given a contract extension while others wanted the Vikings to draft a young QB as his eventual replacement, and still others wanted Cousins gone altogether.
Last month, we seemed to have gotten a final answer on a Cousins contract. Following the conclusion of mandatory minicamp, the Vikings QB took to the podium one final time and had the following to say about a contract extension, “I think we’ll probably talk about the contract next March,” Cousins said. “Until then, [we’ll] just focus on this season and the job to do right now.”
When that happened, it felt like the end of any contract discussions regarding the Vikings QB1. However, on the first day of training camp, Cousins answered more questions from the media regarding his contract status. When asked about potentially getting a new deal, this time, he didn’t shut the idea down, instead saying that he is simply letting his agent, Mike McCartney, take care of it.
“I tell Mike, ‘You don’t call me until you’ve got something that’s worth talking about […] You just call me when there’s something that you need my feedback on. Until then, Mike, we’ve done this for 12 years, I’ll trust you to handle it,'” Cousins said. “So, I just let Mike do his job and my expectation is until he calls me I’m just able to focus on football. And he shouldn’t be calling me unless there’s something of note.”
So, there we have it. Despite some doubt back in June that a deal will get done, Cousins seems to remain open to returning the Vikings on a new deal. That being said, the QB is still focused on the task ahead in 2023 while letting his agent take care of any contract talks behind the scenes. We also have to keep in mind that Minnesota restructured Cousins’ deal back in March, pushing boatloads of dead money in 2024 if he is no longer on the team.
From the Vikings perspective, they are in a very interesting spot as it pertains to their quarterback position. Cousins turns 35 years old in a few short weeks, making him one of the older starting QBs in the league at this point.
Additionally, if Cousins were to secure a long-term deal with the Vikings, or anywhere else, there is a very good chance that he would request a high percentage of the money to be guaranteed, similarly to how his most recent contracts have been structured.
The Vikings have made a concerted effort to get younger across their roster over the course of the offseason, so it may be a bit strange to give out a big contract to an aging quarterback. However, Minnesota doesn’t have a clear-cut option to replace him at this point in time, either.
Nick Mullens has been a backup for much of his career, and we know very little about how Jaren Hall will be able to adjust to the NFL level. Additionally, the team has to keep in mind potential contract extensions for other players like Christian Darrisaw, T.J. Hockenson, Danielle Hunter, and Justin Jefferson.
Overall, the next few months should be a very interesting process to see how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah juggles the financial side of his football team to plan for the future while also remaining competitive in the present.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
