Kirk Cousins will enter free agency next month if he doesn’t reach a new deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota is reportedly unwilling to make one crucial concession for the quarterback.
Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer said Minnesota “really likes” Cousins and reached out to his representatives last week. However, the Vikings won’t offer him another fully guaranteed contract.
Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million deal with Minnesota in 2018 and re-upped with a two-year, $66 million extension before the 2021 season. He played last season on a $35 million contract.
All of that money was fully guaranteed, but Cousins will turn 36 before starting the 2024 campaign. He’s also coming off a torn Achilles that ended his 2023 after eight games.
Breer noted that Cousins may nevertheless be the “most viable veteran option for quarterback-hungry teams” this offseason.
Cousins had exceeded 4,000 passing yards in seven of the last eight seasons and was on pace to easily exceed that benchmark when averaging 291.4 yards per game before his season-ending injury. He’s completed 67.9 percent of his passes with a 101.2 quarterback rating through six seasons in Minnesota.
The four-time Pro Bowler has won one playoff game over his career, but he’s still an above-average quarterback who’d represent an upgrade for plenty of teams. Minnesota saw a steep drop-off without Cousins when losing six of its final seven games, with the only win coming in a 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Breer speculated that a $30 million yearly salary would be “attainable” for Cousins. The Vikings can’t use their franchise tag, so they’d be taking a risk by not offering a fully guaranteed deal before they lose exclusive negotiating rights.