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With the New England Patriots picking third in the NFL draft, going the free agency route instead for a quarterback could make sense.
Top-two prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye could already come off the board by the time the Patriots select at No. 3 in the draft. Instead of settling on another prospect, the Patriots could have the quarterback situation resolved in March by signing Kirk Cousins to a three-year deal as Bleacher Report predicted.
“Look for the Patriots to be a player as they look to move into a new, post-Bill Belichick era,” Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston wrote in a January 14 story predicting the destinations of the league’s top free agents.
Currently the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Cousins has been one of the league’s top passers for years, making four Pro Bowl appearances. He has 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns and a 98.2 quarterback rating in his career.
“Barring a new deal with the Vikings before then, Cousins is going to be the most coveted free agent quarterback on the market, and with good reason,” Beaston wrote.
“Before a season-ending torn Achilles, Cousins put up 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and was on pace to be one of the top-performing quarterbacks of the season,” Beaston wrote. “Despite his offensive output, the team was not particularly good, begging the question: Why would the Vikings pay big money to retain a quarterback without wins to go along with his great stats?”
Kirk Cousins Wants to Win Now
Cousins, 35, has one playoff win in six seasons with the Vikings — a franchise that had Super Bowl aspirations when he signed in 2018. He made it clear after the 2023 season that he prioritized winning over further enriching himself in his final years in the league, Beaston wrote.
“I think it ultimately is about winning football games. And so that will be the most important thing, winning football games. With that, no one thing is in a vacuum,” Cousins told the media on January 8.
“Usually, you win football games because there are some other factors that are really important to me that are going to have to be there to be able to win football games. So it ultimately all ties together. The factors work together. But I certainly believe we can do that here,” Cousins added. “God has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams, so at this stage of my career, the dollars are really not what it’s about.”
Patriots Could Attract Kirk Cousins & Fulfill His Winning Aspirations
Despite a 4-13 season in 2023, the Patriots could suit Cousins’ winning aspirations. New England lost eight one-score games in a season marred by key injuries and lackluster offensive play.
New England benched former starting quarterback Mac Jones, and Bailey Zappe finished out the season. But Zappe didn’t leave lots of promise as a future starter, amassing 1,272 yards passing and 6 touchdowns versus 9 interceptions in 10 appearances.
The Patriots also didn’t have any great seasons from skill players, and offensive line issues couldn’t improve the situation. New England will have seven draft picks and $75.22 million in salary cap space to rebuild the offense.
Such moves could attract Cousins to consider a franchise that once dominated the NFL as recently as five years ago. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since winning the Super Bowl in 2019.
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