Purple Headlines of the Week: A Kirk Cousins Prediction, Vikings Rookies Snubbed from Awards, a Big Trade in the Draft?
We’re another week through the Vikings 2024 offseason, and rumors are in full-swing regarding the team.
As we continue to plow ahead through the remainder of the NFL playoffs and into the true offseason process, here is a look at all of the purple headlines of the past week.
ESPN Predicts Kirk Cousins Will Leave Minnesota
So far in 2024, one of the biggest products of the rumor mill has revolved around Vikings QB Kirk Cousins and where he could play this upcoming season. The veteran is set to hit free agency for the first time since 2018 and could be the missing piece for a number of teams on their way towards contention.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler published an article including some predictions of the landing spots for veteran quarterbacks like Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and Russell Wilson. In Fowler’s article, one of the predictions included the idea that Cousins will land with a new team in 2024.
Cousins heading to Atlanta makes sense for a couple reasons. As Fowler suggests in the piece, they offer a very complete set of skill players on the offensive side of the ball, including Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. They are in a great position to sign a veteran quarterback with nearly $26 million in salary cap space and multiple options to free up even more room.
Vikings Rookies Snubbed from ROY Finalists
This week, the NFL announced their finalists for many annual awards, including the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Vikings got some great production from a couple rookies this season, including WR Jordan Addison and LB Ivan Pace.
However, neither player was listed as a finalist for the awards. Instead, the Offensive Rookie of the Year finalists included RB Jahmyr Gibbs, TE Sam LaPorta, WR Puka Nacua, RB Bijan Robinson, and QB C.J. Stroud. Defensively, the Rookie of the Year finalists are EDGE Will Anderson, DT Jalen Carter, CB Joey Porter, DT Kobie Turner, and CB Devon Witherspoon.
A Big Trade in the Draft Could Be Coming for the Vikings
Many have wondered if this could be the year that the Vikings finally make a big splash in the draft to land a quarterback in the first round. According to a recent report from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune, the Vikings could be open to making a big move to slide up the first round and snatch that quarterback.
Goessling joined Paul Allen’s show on KFAN this week, and he suggested there could be a big trade in the Vikings’ future. “If they’re going to take one, it’s going to be someone we love or we’re not doing it,” Goessling said. “If you have to give up a couple first-round picks for future years, I don’t think they’d bat an eye at that.”
Essentially, this suggests that if the Vikings are going to take a QB in the draft, it’s going to be a guy that they’re all-in on. There won’t be any wishy-washy selections in the first round from this team, particularly at a position as important as quarterback.
In Case You Missed It…
As usual, we have an extra list of reading material for the especially studious Vikings fans. Happy reading!
- Vikings Coach Named OC for Pro Bowl Games
- Vikings Make a Monster Move in Latest PFN Mock Draft
- An Unseen Trove of Cap Space for the Vikings
- Celebrating the 2-Year Anniversary of the Kwesi Hire
There’s a New Favorite Position for the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft
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.