ESPN Analyst Predicts Kirk Cousins Will Stay in Minnesota Past the 2023 Season
One of the big storylines for the Vikings heading into the 2023 season is the future of their starting QB Kirk Cousins.
For the first time in his Vikings career, Cousins is entering the final year of his contract and is set to hit free agency next spring. Ahead of the 2023 season, ESPN analyst Dan Graziano put out predictions for 19 different QB situations that must be solved for 2024.
One of those predictions involved Cousins, and Graziano believes that Cousins will remain in a purple uniform during the 2024 season. Take a look at what the analyst had to say about Minnesota’s decision:
The Vikings don’t win 13 games again, but they contend for and maybe even secure a wild-card spot. That puts them too far down the draft order to grab one of the top QB prospects, and when they look around, they decide that keeping Cousins is the best option, so they re-sign him in free agency.
One of the big factors in this decision is the team’s success during the 2023 season. If they continue to compete for a playoff spot, and especially if they win a game or two during postseason play, the best option to continue the team’s success may be keeping Cousins around.
The Vikings QB was spectacular for much of the 2022 season, passing for his usual 4547 yards and 29 TDs. It was his eighth consecutive season with at least 3500 yards and 25 TDs, the longest such streak in the NFL.
Not only were Cousins’ numbers on par with the top QBs in the league, but he managed to dodge criticism in clutch scenarios. He led the league with 8 game-winning drives over the course of the season, and Minnesota also had 8 fourth-quarter comebacks.
Of course, it is extremely unlikely that the Vikings will go 11-0 in one-possession games again in 2023, and thus, the margin for error is low if the team hopes to win 13 games again and repeat as NFC North champions.
Regardless, the NFC conference as a whole is very wide-open once again this year, and at the very least, Minnesota will be in contention for a Wild Card spot in 2023, unless things completely fall off the rails. If that were to happen, well, Graziano says things could change in the Twin Cities. Here is his “long-shot scenario” for the Vikings next year:
The bill for last season’s 11 one-score wins comes due, and the Vikings bottom out, finishing last in the NFC North. It triggers a full-on rebuild behind a high draft pick at QB — and Cousins signs with the 49ers next March.
Unless Cousins were to suffer the first major injury of his career, it’s very unlikely that the Vikings bottom out to the tune of a top-10 draft pick. Regardless, the QB turns 35 years old in a few days, and he went through extreme duress last year, being hit a career-high 84 times. The offensive line must be far better in order to protect their QB’s health.
There is also the matter of fifth-round pick Jaren Hall. Vikings fans will get to see him in live game action for the first time tonight against the Seattle Seahawks, and if the rookie shows off some of the talent that got him drafted in the first place, maybe the Vikings consider moving forward with him next year or in 2025.
It will be a very interesting season in Minnesota for a number of reasons, and the topic of their QB’s contract likely is to come up many more times before next March.
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.