At This Point, It’s About His Legacy
As the behind-closed-doors negotiations continue, one wonders if Kirk Cousins is considering his NFL legacy.
If his career ended today, fans would remember Cousins as a good-but-not-great QB who accomplished very little in terms of team success. He made it to a few Pro Bowls, and he had the memorable OT performance a couple years ago to take down the Saints in the playoffs. Otherwise, it’s been some nice stats and average records.
Where he has been among the best in the NFL is in the negotiation room. He played hardball with Washington, navigating their low ball offers with aplomb. Rather than agree to a deal that he felt was below his level of play, Cousins played consecutive seasons on the franchise tag.
Upon entering free agency, Cousins boiled things down to two suitors: the Jets and Vikings. His self-produced documentary of the adventure suggested that he took less to come to Minnesota. Even still, it’s hard to be overly concerned about someone who signed a 3-year, $84 million deal that was fully guaranteed. Before that deal expired, he tacked on a couple more years of guaranteed money.
As it stands, Cousins will head into 2022 as the league’s highest-paid player:
Over the Cap suggests that he has made more than $160 million in his career. My understanding is that this number doesn’t include his upcoming salary. So, he’ll quickly sail past the $200 million benchmark. Plus, his various sponsorship deals surely bring in a ton of cash.
The point I’m trying to make is that there’s no way Cousins will go hungry unless he has been incredibly foolish with his finances. Given his detailed, diligent approach to football, my belief is that he’s reasonably wise with his money.
With all that being said, I wonder how important a football legacy is to Kirk Cousins. Again, his career would currently be of someone who did well for himself, rising above his draft slot to become one of the game’s highest-paid players. He did so because he was consistently available to provide strong but not elite play at the game’s most important position. Folks, there’s something to be said for that.
If, however, he decides to take a different approach this time around, the narrative could change. Increased capital for the team may be enough to, say, snag that impact offensive lineman or corner. In effect, the Vikings would have a greater chance of making a push for the Super Bowl rather than get bogged down in the doldrums of mediocrity.
It’s the path Tom Brady took. Matthew Stafford played for $20 last year, and now he’ll be remembered as a Super Bowl champion. We’ll see what happens in Minnesota.
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