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Trade rumors are heating up around the San Francisco 49ers making a move to acquire Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is going to cost the Vikings a lot of money over the next two seasons, so that’s why some insiders are thinking the team will look to find a way out of his contract.
However, one NFL insider, Ian Rapoport, doesn’t see it happening. Rapoport joined the Pat McAfee Show where he addressed the Niners’ interest in Cousins.
“I don’t sense that at all,” Rapoport said. “I would never say anything is impossible as you guys know. This NFL world taught us anyone can be traded. That one I would be very surprised about. For one, I am not sure that it benefits the Vikings. I don’t know if Cousins is an upgrade over Jimmy G. When they’re both healthy, are we sure that Cousins is that big of an upgrade for what it’s going to cost?”
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The 49ers Were Interested in Kirk A Few Years Ago
Shanahan and Cousins go way back to when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator at Washington from 2010-2013.
Kirk was a rookie out of Michigan State where Shanahan became a big fan of the, now, veteran QB.
“I liked how efficient he was coming out of college watching him on film, and then being with him for years and seeing firsthand how talented he was as a thrower,” Shanahan told NBC Sports one year ago. “I also saw how his mind worked and how he worked at it. He understood everything that was happening whether it was good or bad, and always tried to learn from things.”
Cousins became a free agent in 2018 and the 49ers admitted to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Beer that he was interested in trading for him even after they acquired Jimmy Garropolo from the Patriots.
“But here’s what you may not know—even after San Francisco dealt a second-round pick to the Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo on Oct. 30, Shanahan and GM John Lynch had yet to shut the door on the idea of pursuing Cousins”, Beer wrote. Garoppolo had much to prove over the two months to follow, and the man Shanahan developed in D.C. in 2012 and ’13 lurked as an option if Tom Brady’s backup fell on his face.”
Over three seasons in Minnesota, Cousins has tallied 12,166 yards, 91 touchdowns, 29 interceptions, and a 69% completion percentage. Minnesota missed the playoffs this season after going 7-9.
Shanahan Said It Would Take A “Good Answer” To Replace Jimmy G.
Kyle Shanahan addressed the “elephant in the room” back in December and made it clear he believes in Jimmy G. to lead the Niners.
“You look into every avenue and you see if there’s something out there that can get you a ton better,” Shanahan said, per ESPN. “That’s the same answer for every position, but look at Jimmy, look what he’s done, look where he’s at financially. We better have a very good answer if you’re gonna find something better than that because Jimmy has shown in one year that he’s the guy who can take us to the Super Bowl, and I also think that Jimmy is going to get a lot better the more he plays.”
In 2019, Garropolo took the team to a conference championship but played just six games this season. He ended the season completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,096 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Overall, Garropolo has led the team 22-8 in regular-season games and without him, the 49ers are just 7-26.
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‘Very Surprised’ if 49ers Swap QBs in Potential Trade, Says Insider