Questions Answered: A Cousins Paycut in 2023, Roughing the Passer Rule, Ramsey Chatter
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the February 27th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Questions Answered: A Cousins Paycut in 2023, Roughing the Passer Rule, Ramsey Chatter
Q: Would you expect — or do you think — Kirk Cousins should take a paycut with his next contract extension?
A: This talking point shows up every offseason, and it’s always so dumb.
No, Kirk Cousins isn’t going to play on a reduced contract just for fun. He plays football to earn money, not to appease fans with do-gooder tendencies.
It would be fantastic if Cousins played for cheap, but he won’t do it. Tom Brady did so with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few times. And he’s the only quarterback who did it.
Cousins might play in the mid $30 million range, but he’s not going to take a small contract. He never does. This contract extension saga is no different.
Q: Will the NFL change the rules to review Roughing the Passer calls?
A: Probably not.
The league tried this a few years ago by reviewing Pass Interference infractions, and it was an unadulterated trainwreck. Referees were skittish about fixing their own mistakes, so the process became laughable.
Taking a look at the legitimacy of Roughing the Passer flags would be no different than the Pass Interference experiment.
It doesn’t sound like there’s much support leaguewide for it, either.
Q: Are the Jalen Ramsey trade rumors even remotely serious?
A: The Vikings rank third-least in available cap space as of late February, making it unlikely that they trade for the most expensive cornerback in football.
Ramsey would fit wonderfully in the Vikings secondary — and he worked with Kevin O’Connell in Los Angeles during their Super Bowl run — but the six-time Pro Bowler is likely too rich for the Vikings blood, per trade capital and contractual value.
A trade isn’t impossible — just unlikely.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.