Getty Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Whether teams are willing to swing for the fences in a trade for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins remains to be seen.
But the veteran quarterback is garnering plenty of attention in the trade market.
Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed revealed an emerging quarterback-needy team who has discussed Cousins as a “possibility.”
The latest Vikings news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Vikings newsletter here!
Cousins to Seahawks a ‘Possibility’
The Seattle Seahawks traded away longtime franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in a lucrative trade package that includes two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and quarterback Drew Lock’s tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris.
Seahawks head coach Pete Caroll is adamant that Seattle, coming off their worst season in a decade with a record of 7-10, are not rebuilding that could lend way to the Seahawks moving some of their draft capital to Minnesota in exchange for Cousins.
“Not for one reason at all am I thinking that we have to restart this whole thing and create a new philosophy and a new approach. I think we have the essence of what we need,” Carroll said to 710 ESPN Seattle on December 21, via ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “We’ve got to build on them, we’ve got to support it better and we’ve got to continue to grow and progress. There ain’t no standing still, but there’s the foundation for doing things.”
Kyed reported on March 9 that Carroll “loves” Cousins, and there’s a “possibility” of a trade.
“There’s also the possibility, though it’s been described to me as ‘doubtful,’ that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has one year left on his current contract, could come available in a trade if he’s not extended,” Kyed wrote. “Carroll ‘loves’ Cousins, according to one source. Cousins spent the 2016 season in Washington with Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. And he’d be cheaper to acquire than Wilson was for the Broncos.”
There’s a likelihood that Seattle would want Minnesota to cover some of Cousins’ $35 million base salary along with his $10 million signing bonus. But if the Vikings garner a high-value pick and still save cap space with a bridge quarterback, the trade could be deemed a long-term gain for the new regime hoping to begin building a team in its vision.
Die-hard Vikings fan? Follow the Heavy on Vikings Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content from Skol Nation!
Clock is Ticking
The Vikings’ ultimate decision on Cousins is coming down to the wire with less than a week remaining before the free agency window opens.
With Aaron Rodgers and Wilson being the first dominos to fall in the upcoming quarterback market, Cousins is now the best quarterback potentially available.
Minnesota still has to clear $15.0 million in cap space before March 16, and if they cannot move Cousins, other moves will have to be made.
OverTheCap mapped potential restructures for the Vikings, who can manufacture over $48 million in savings on the 2022 books with simple restructures that require no negotiations. However, those restructures will merely kick money owed further down the road and potentially hamper the new regime for years to come.