2023 Officially Is a “Prove It” Year for Kirk Cousins
Josh Frey
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One of the big question marks for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason has been the future of their quarterback position. Kirk Cousins comes into 2023 on the final year of his contract, and while the Vikings may still have Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall under contract for 2024, the starting spot is up in the air.
Following the conclusion of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday, Cousins spoke with the media, and during that presser, it became clear that the QB spot will remain a question through the end of 2023.
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North asked Cousins about his lack of a contract heading into the season, and the quarterback’s response confirmed what many had already assumed about his current situation.
“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.”
There we have it. In all likelihood, Cousins will not get a new contract with the Vikings this year, meaning he will play on the final year of a deal for the first time since 2017, his final season in Washington. 2023 is officially a “prove it” year for the Vikings QB.
The Vikings QB will turn 35 years old in August, and for a team that has spent the majority of the offseason getting younger (releasing or trading Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, Za’Darius Smith, and Adam Thielen), it would make sense for this to be Cousins’ final year in Minnesota before they try to find a younger long-term solution.
Even still, Cousins has persistently said that his desire is to remain in Minnesota for the remainder of his career. The best way for him to be granted that wish? Lead the Vikings to another division title and a deep playoff run.
Just because Cousins is entering the final year of his deal doesn’t mean we should rule out the possibility that he returns to the Vikings in 2024, though. We’ve seen other players get rewarded after strong seasons in the final years of their contracts.
One such player that immediately comes to mind is Garrett Bradbury. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell made it especially clear what they initially thought of the Vikings center when they declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent at the end of the 2022 season.
However, Bradbury responded by having the best season of his career, making strong improvements as a pass protector along with his usual prowess as a run blocker. As a result, despite suffering a back injury down the stretch of the year, he earned a new three-year contract to stay with the Vikings for the next three seasons.
And now, we head into 2023 where it is Cousins’ turn to prove that he deserves a new contract with the Vikings. If he helps Minnesota remain competitive for a second consecutive year, the veteran QB may get his wish of retiring in Minnesota.
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.