Getty Quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings throws a pass against the New York Giants during the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Kirk Cousins to the San Francisco 49ers trade fodder has been well-documented for the past three years by media.
However, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, it was more than just tabloid gossip. There was real buzz between Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco last month, echoed by league insiders.
“Apparently at the scouting combine, there was some chatter, there was some noise among people within the broader league structure, not media, but people in the league, about Cousins being traded to the 49ers,” Florio said on Pro Football Talk Live on March 28.”That was a hot topic at one point in Indianapolis.”
The Vikings turning down Cousins’ offer of taking a team discount for a three-year contract extension is a sign Minnesota is ready to move on from the veteran quarterback who has been the darling of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan since their days in Washington.
An obvious trade chip in the water cooler conversations at the combine would be Trey Lance, the Marshall, Minnesota, native that San Francisco selected fourth overall in the 2021 draft. Lance’s four-year, $34 million rookie deal is the sum of just one year with Cousins and offers significant cap savings to aid the defensive rebuild.
“And at this point, Cousins has redone his deal,” Florio said. “It’s a $38 million cap charge. But you know what? If you’re going to swap out Kirk Cousins, you bring in a guy who’s under a low-cost contract, like a Trey Lance. Trey Lance, North Dakota State, close to home, gets a chance to resurrect his career.
“And I feel bad for Trey Lance,” Florio added. “Tough situation. He had no say, no power, honor and a privilege to be thrust into a situation where you have the high expectations of being the third overall pick, heightened by playing for a great team, heightened by everything they gave up to get in position to get you. You’re the guy they gave up three ones and a three to get, and all you can go is down. He needs a fresh start.”
Vikings Can Leverage 49ers QB Woes in Trade for Lance
The Vikings appear to be headed toward a fresh start at quarterback as well with Cousins on the final year of his current contract — the first time he’s been put in a contract year since he was in Washington.
Cousins is poised to test free agency next offseason, and if Minnesota does not select a top quarterback prospect this draft, they will need a bridge quarterback for at least a season. Lance would be an ideal candidate given he would be in the final year of his rookie contract and would cost pennies compared to Cousins.
San Francisco has been snakebitten by injuries at the quarterback position for the past five seasons as a Super Bowl-caliber roster has floundered in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. 49ers general manager John Lynch said in March that they would look at the quarterback market to “insulate” the position behind Purdy. The 49ers went on to sign Sam Darnold, who is the presumptive third-string quarterback.
The San Francisco front office has played off their woes at quarterback cool throughout the Jimmy Garoppolo and Lance era. But for a team that was a quarter away from winning a Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and has since fallen twice in back-to-back NFC Championship games, frustrations have to be boiling over. San Francisco has scored averaged just 12 points in their conference championship losses the past two years.
Lynch mentioned Shanahan “mourning” not getting Cousins back in 2018 to an ESPN radio affiliate.
“I think everybody knows his master plan was to have Kirk Cousins come in eventually,” Lynch said in 2018.
It’s since been a perennial head-banging against the wall as they’ve been good, but not good enough without a durable, top-10 talent at quarterback.
Cousins offers just that, and with the 49ers roster beginning to age, the clock is ticking in San Francisco — and that could make a trade for Lance much more realistic.
Vikings’ Trial Run of Trey Lance Sets Up Opportunity for Next Franchise QB
In the hypothetical scenario where Lance would land with the Vikings in 2023, Minnesota would have two seasons to give the North Dakota State star a chance at becoming a franchise quarterback.
If he struggles or gets injured, Minnesota would surely tank. Credit to Cousins: he has kept the team afloat despite an abysmal showing. But that has kept the Vikings in the middle ground of the NFL and unable to land a top quarterback prospect without gambling the future by trading up with more draft assets.
If Lance struggles, Minnesota could find itself with a top-five pick in the 2024 draft and position Kevin O’Connell to get his guy.
If Lance pans out to become at least above average or a potential Pro Bowler, Minnesota could re-sign him while still finding a developmental prospect.