Vikings Urged to Avoid Long-Term Deal For $35 Million Star

Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (left) and head coach Kevin O'Connell (right) of the Minnesota Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings have reached a meaningful conclusion when it comes to quarterback Kirk Cousins — no longer will the franchise play both sides of the fence.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Monday, February 27, that the Vikings will not extend Cousins on another one-yer deal. Instead, the team will either part ways with the quarterback in 2024 or secure him long-term for most, or all, of what remains of his NFL career.

Justin Melo of Draft Network advised against the latter option, at least until Cousins does a better job of proving himself this coming season than he did last year.

Kirk Cousins’ Play Next Season Will Determine Vikings’ Final Decision

GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a touchdown during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Cousins’ 2022 season, perhaps more than most, is nuanced and difficult to quantify.

The Vikings finished the season 13-4, won the NFC North Division and hosted a playoff game. Cousins was a Pro-Bowl selection for the second straight season and for the third time in four years. Pro Football Focus graded him out at 79.3 overall, ranking him the ninth-best quarterback out of 39 players who qualified at the position.

However, Cousins posted a career-worst 14 interceptions last season and turned the ball over a total of 17 times, per Pro Football Reference. Minnesota was good in the clutch, pulling out 11 one-score victories and showing its mettle during high-pressure situations. Success under those conditions is reflective of the man lining up under center, as no other player on offense touches the ball every play and no player on the entire roster has a more consistent impact on the game.

Still, an NFL record for close wins during the regular season invariably implies a measure of luck, and some kind of regression to the mean should be expected for the Vikings in 2023. In other words, if Minnesota hopes to be a 13-win team next season, Cousins is going to have to play better, namely by taking care of the football more effectively. That will come at even more of a premium considering the number of cuts expected of meaningful contributors on both offense and defense this offseason.

“Cousins’ inability to lead Minnesota to a playoff victory … has many wondering about his long-term outlook with the Vikings,” Melo wrote. “The postseason failure versus the [New York] Giants should mean Cousins is entering a do-or-die campaign in 2023. Either Cousins leads the Vikings to postseason success or [Kwesi] Adofo-Mensah could begin pivoting for a future without Cousins.”

Vikings Should Look to Select Quarterback in 2023 NFL Draft

GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins (left) of the Minnesota Vikings hands the football to running back Dalvin Cook (right) during a game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 9, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Regardless of how Cousins plays next season, or what the Vikings’ view as his future once the year concludes, Minnesota should be in the market for a quarterback in the coming NFL Draft.

Ideally, the Vikings could zero in on a player like Anthony Richardson out of Florida, though the team would probably need to move significantly up the draft board in the first round to make that happen. Spending the capital that such a move would cost is a hard sell considering the team’s needs at several other positions, including the secondary and the wide receiver room.

Instead, the Vikings will probably need to look for a backup QB in the middle rounds, with players like Tanner McKee of Stanford and Hendon Hooker of Tennessee as high-upside options who can develop behind Cousins and under head coach Kevin O’Connell for at least their rookie seasons.

Even if the Vikings eventually decide to extend Cousins on a long-term deal, a player like McKee or Hooker is worth the swing. Cousins will play next season at the age of 35 and allowing a QB two or three years to develop is an advantage most franchises no longer have in the contemporary NFL.

Difficulties replacing Cousins via free agency have kept Minnesota mired in its current quarterback situation, as potential replacements like Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo don’t project a significant performance and/or value upgrade over Cousins.

If the Vikings don’t extend Cousins on a multiyear deal this offseason, the team runs the risk of losing him in free agency or being forced to pay him even more to stay in Minnesota, depending on the other offers he receives.

However, Cousins has said he would like to remain with the Vikings through the end of his career, which should give Minnesota some type of leverage come next spring if the team still feels uncomfortable about its future at quarterback as Cousins hits the free agent market.