Getty Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins knows timing is everything.
Cousins has established himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. He thrives in systems that rely on rhythm and timing. He and his representatives have also proven savvy at the negotiating table. Cousins has banked over $185 million in career earnings as a Viking.
It makes sense, then, that he would send out a veritable public notice that he is healthy ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine.
That is where negotiations for his next contract are expected to begin.
“Almost 4 months in now…encouraged by the progress! Grateful tor [sic] all the help around us,” Cousins captioned the video in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on February 26.
Almost 4 months in now…encouraged by the progress! Grateful tor all the help around us
Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8 versus the Green Bay Packers. He finished the season with a 4-4 record. It is the third time in the last three seasons that he has failed to lead the Vikings to a winning record.
The Vikings have had a winning record three times in Cousins’ six seasons.
However, he was 4-1 in his last five starts, finishing on a three-game winning streak. He was also leading the NFL in passing yards per game when he went down.
Cousins’ one-year, $35 million contract expires on March 13. If he and the Vikings fail to agree on a new contract before then, Cousins will still count for $28.5 million against the books next season.
ESPN Projects Kirk Cousins to Land $50 Million Contract
GettyKirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings have $40.9 million in cap space, per Spotrac. A new deal could lower Cousins’ cap hit as long as it is an extension.
“Any team hoping to win over the next three years that isn’t in position to land one of the top starters in the 2024 draft should be trying to pursue Cousins,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on February 26. “If Cousins’ recovery is on track, he should be able to get one more significant deal as a 35-year-old free agent.
“Average annual salary projection: $51 million per season.”
Barnwell lists the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans as potential suitors.
The Buccaneers, Raiders, and Titans all enter the offseason with more available cap space than the Vikings. He has ties to the Falcons coaching staff.
Minnesota can free up to an additional $22-plus million with some cuts or restructures.
Vikings, Kirk Cousins Facing Potential Impasse in Contract Talks
GettyGeneral Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
If the annual value of Cousins’ next contract isn’t a sticking point, the guaranteed money could be. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that the current front office’s thinking.
It’s not to give Cousins the type of contract he has previously received from the organization.
“The current Minnesota brass, now going into its third season, really likes Cousins,” Breer wrote on February 19, “but it’s also been made clear that they’re not going to go contractually where the previous regime did twice, and give Cousins a fully guaranteed deal.”
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that he wants Cousins back. But he also left the door open for a reset at the position, adding intrigue to the situation.