Getty Quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings can’t seem to escape questions on the future of quarterback Kirk Cousins, even at the pinnacle of the organization.
Team owner Mark Wilf faced that precise inquiry on Tuesday, August 8. His response was akin to the same move Vikings brass has made every time one of them has been faced with a question or decision on Cousins’ contract — to kick the can down the road.
“We’ll leave that to [general manager] Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] and head coach [Kevin O’Connell] to work through those discussions,” Wilf responded, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “There’s always conversations on that. But our real focus is 100% on 2023 and getting where we need to be, and where I know we can be.”
Wilf made a few more comments regarding Cousins’ future with the franchise that struck a familiar note — one echoed before in statements on the QB from Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell.
“Kirk is an outstanding leader,” Wilf said. “He’s led this team incredibly these past few years and we’re looking for great things from him in 2023.”
Seifert pointed out that Wilf “was careful not to project his thoughts into future years,” speaking instead in the sole context of the upcoming season. Both the Vikings GM and head coach have done the exact same thing in recent weeks.
Vikings Continue to Express Hesitancy Over Kirk Cousins’ Future With Team Through Contract Negotiations
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings is entering the final year of his contract in 2023.
While the Vikings won’t say they want Cousins around long-term — or that they don’t — their actions over the last two offseasons have spoken loudly.
Upon accepting the GM position in 2022, Adofo-Mensah would not commit to a multiyear deal for Cousins. The QB was entering the final season of his second contract in Minnesota at the time.
Adofo-Mensah was deliberate, and in the end he did extend Cousins, though only for one year at $35 million. A hesitancy to commit to the four-time Pro Bowler for the long haul made an appearance again in negotiations this offseason, when the Vikings turned down a “discount” offered by Cousins’ representation in return for a multiyear extension.
The two sides subsequently restructured the quarterback’s deal in March, converting $20 million of his salary into a roster bonus and adding two void years in order to clear $16 million off of the team’s 2023 salary cap, per Spotrac. As of Tuesday, the Vikings had north of $10.6 million at their disposal.
Rookie Jaren Hall Could Eventually Replace Kirk Cousins, as Vikings Must Focus on Paying Pass Catchers
GettyVikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kirk Cousins talk on the sideline before an NFL game in 2023.
Cousins, who will play this season at 35 years old, has openly expressed his desire to remain in Minnesota through the end of his career. However, it’s not that simple.
Through six seasons with the Vikings, Cousins has earned $185 million across three deals (three years for $84 million, two years for $66 million and one year for $35 million). Betting on himself has paid off for Cousins in a massive way, but considering his age it makes sense for the QB to seek a long-term contract to finish his career.
The Vikings still need to address extension-eligible players T.J. Hockenson and Justin Jefferson. The former is a two-time Pro Bowler expected to ink somewhere in the neighborhood of the second-richest tight end contract in the NFL, while the latter is an All-Pro who is expected to reset the market at the wide receiver position with the most lucrative contract for a pass catcher in NFL history.
Minnesota clearly doesn’t believe Cousins is the player who should be throwing them the football for years to come, or a deal would already be done. However, the Vikings also clearly don’t believe that they could have replaced Cousins with a better option at any point over the last two years, or he would already be playing for another team.
Quarterback Nick Mullens was named the backup on the Vikings’ first unofficial preseason depth chart, which was released earlier this week. Behind him is rookie QB Jaren Hall, who the Vikings selected with the No. 164 overall pick in the fifth-round.
Mullens is not the long-term solution in Minnesota. Hall might be, though he’s unlikely to get a chance to prove it on the field this season, as the Vikings have billed 2023 as a competitive rebuild and intend to try to win based on comments from the team’s owner, general manager and head coach.
Hall may prove himself enough in practice and through next offseason to earn the starting job with the Vikings in 2024. If he doesn’t, Minnesota will be back to square one. Only this time, Cousins will be a free agent.