The Pros and Cons if the Vikings Keep Kirk Cousins in 2024
Josh Frey
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A main offseason topic in Minnesota regards the pending free agency of QB Kirk Cousins.
It’s a very difficult question to answer as either keeping him or letting him go will alter the future of the franchise. As free agency approaches, here are a few pros and cons of keeping Cousins around for another season.
Pro: Sustained Competitiveness
The benefit of having a player like Cousins at the quarterback position is that he ensures a team will remain competitive throughout the year. Even with a dreadful start to the 2023 season, and some horrific turnover luck, the Vikings were 4-4 through eight games with Cousins as a starter.
Then, the veteran suffered his Achilles injury in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota proceeded to finish the season with a 3-6 record and a revolving door of quarterbacks. As long as Cousins can get back to his ironman self and avoid injuries, the Vikings will almost assuredly be back in playoff contention with him under center.
Con: Is There a Ceiling on that Competitiveness?
While Cousins does guarantee some semblance of competitiveness, is there a ceiling on how competitive the Vikings can be in the NFC with him? In his six seasons with the Vikings, they’ve made the playoffs twice and only have one playoff win. One season before he arrived, Minnesota made the NFC Championship Game with Case Keenum under center.
While part of this is certainly because of some putrid defenses during Cousins’ time in Minnesota, the mark of a truly great quarterback is an ability to rise above negative circumstances around them. In the end, there could be a ceiling on exactly how high the Vikings can advance in the playoffs.
Pro: Utilizing the Money
As has often been mentioned throughout the past year, the Minnesota Vikings have $28.5 million in dead money on the books for Cousins this year. As a result, they will have a pretty hefty bill on their salary cap regardless of if he is on the team or not. Offering him an extension would allow the team to shuffle the money around a touch while, of course, actually seeing the player contribute for the team.
Indeed, keeping Cousins around would at least allow the Vikings to utilize that money in 2024 rather than letting him walk for nothing. At the end of the day, though, Minnesota likely will have to eat at least some dead money by the time he actually leaves the team.
Con: Another Year of Waiting
Virtually ever since Cousins got to Minnesota, Vikings fans have been clamoring for the team to find their QB of the future. Fans have watched the rival Green Bay Packers find and develop three very good quarterbacks over the past quarter century, and understandably, many want to see that happen in Minnesota.
Keeping Cousins around potentially puts the plan for that “QB of the future” on hold until 2025. Granted, the Vikings could still select a quarterback in the first round, but he won’t be seeing the field in 2024 as long as Cousins stays healthy and plays well.
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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.