The Minnesota Vikings will enter the upcoming season with about as wide of a variance in potential outcomes as any franchise in the NFL.
Minnesota finished last year atop the NFC North Division with a record of 13-4 on the strength of a mind-boggling, odds-bucking total of 11 one-score victories. The roster has gotten younger since then, as well as cheaper in some important spots, but is also less experienced. The Vikings are likely to regress at least somewhat toward the mean in close games in 2023, though the division has gotten weaker with Aaron Rodgers‘ departure from the Green Bay Packers.
As such, there is a wide range of plausible finishes to Minnesota’s 2023 campaign. However, if things begin to go badly early in the year and don’t start trending upward by mid-season, quarterback Kirk Cousins could become a name to watch ahead of the league’s October 31 trade deadline.
Whatever the future holds for the Vikings, there is only a minuscule chance that includes a long-term relationship with Cousins beyond this year. The QB turns 35 years old in August and will earn $35 million for his work this season. Cousins is bound for unrestricted free agency in March and presumably isn’t looking to take a significant pay cut on his next deal after earning a third Pro-Bowl nod in four seasons in 2022.
Minnesota can let Cousins walk next spring, but if the franchise doesn’t plan to extend the quarterback then trading him for assets makes sense considering his value as a top-15 starter in the NFL — especially if the Vikings appear poised for a season of seven or eight wins come late October.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Could Finally Put 49ers Over the Top in Super Bowl Pursuit
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report on Friday, August 4, pitched the San Francisco 49ers as one of the most likely trade partners in a potential deal for Cousins. The Niners have hung around the top of the NFC for the last half-decade but have never been able to get over the hump, at least in part due to injuries and inconsistent play under center.
Brock Purdy is a sophomore seventh-round pick with just five regular season starts under his belt and is coming back from a significant [elbow] injury. Trey Lance hasn’t been able to stay on the field and … Sam Darnold hasn’t done much of anything in five years to indicate he can become a solid NFL starter.
What if the 49ers discover early this season that none of those three have what it takes to get the job done? If they determine they can’t let their season go off the rails because of one position, a deal for a proven veteran with an expiring contract on a potentially non-competitive team might make a lot of sense. Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill fit the profile.
Cousins also has a history with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan from their days together with the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders. The transition into Shanahan’s offense would be a smooth one for Cousins, and San Francisco has the type of roster that is capable of winning a ring with a good, though not great, quarterback like Cousins at the helm.
Trey Lance, Mid-Round Draft Pick Should be Vikings’ Asking Price From 49ers for Kirk Cousins
GettyQuarterback Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers.
The return to the Vikings for Cousins would have to include Lance, which means any potential deal hinges upon what Minnesota thinks of the 23-year-old signal caller.
Lance returns to action this year after the Niners dubbed him their starter to begin the 2022 campaign. He was hurt in a Week 2 matchup against the Chicago Bears, suffering a broken ankle that required surgery to mend. Jimmy Garoppolo filled in successfully until he was also hurt, at which point the Purdy era began.
Lance is a Minnesota native and a dual-threat QB whose career timeline more closely aligns with the Vikings’ top offensive superstars, namely wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, than Cousins’ does.
Beyond Lance, the Vikings could also ask for a late Day 2 or early Day 3 draft pick from San Francisco in return for a quarterback in Cousins who can finally put Shanahan’s 49ers over the top.
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Trade Pitch Sees Vikings Bail on Kirk Cousins for Dual-Threat QB