49ers, Kirk Cousins Trade Rumors Heat Up Once Again
Josh Frey
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Once again, it appears that there are Kirk Cousins trade rumors circulating, especially involving him being sent to the San Francisco 49ers. However, this may be the most credible set of rumors we’ve seen to date. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Vikings QB and his status was a ‘hot topic’ during the week of the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
“Apparently at the scouting combine, there was some chatter, there was some noise among people within the broader league structure, not media but people in the league, about Cousins being traded to the 49ers. That was a hot topic at one point in Indianapolis.”
A potential Cousins trade has been a topic of discussion for multiple offseasons now, but when the Vikings QB got a no-trade clause with his most recent contract extension, it seemed like those talks would eventually die out.
Instead, this offseason may involve the most Cousins trade talks of them all in recent memory, and if folks within teams have been discussing them, then clearly these rumors carry a bit of weight to them.
The 49ers have been a popular landing spot for Cousins because it reunites him with Kyle Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator during the QB’s early NFL years in Washington. Shanahan also was reportedly very interested in bringing Cousins to San Francisco in free agency before he ultimately signed with the Vikings.
As far as a return package goes, the Niners don’t have much in terms of immediate draft capital, owning just one top-100 pick at No. 99. However, they own all their own first-round picks following this year, and they could offer up Trey Lance as part of a potential deal as well.
Especially considering the fact that it seems like San Francisco has more faith in Brock Purdy than Lance at this point, the 2021 No. 3 overall pick could be in need of a fresh start, and he would get that in Minnesota.
Ultimately, a trade still seems unlikely with Cousins no-trade clause, but if he were to agree to a trade, San Francisco is probably near the top of the list for him as it would reunite him with an old coach and plant him in one of the most over-powered offenses in the entire NFL. We will see what happens, but it seems like this saga may be far from over.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. 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.