Hello fellow Skoloholics! We continue our series of “Where Do We Go From Here?” by taking a look at the most polarizing player on the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Kirk Cousins. Kirk certainly seems to have the “love him or hate him” moniker attached to him. It seems that a segment of the fan base hates Kirk Cousins (or at least his contract), and another segment of the fan base adores Cousins. The rest of us watch on in amusement. I’m going to do my best to do my analysis from an unbiased viewpoint, only looking at options and how they will affect the team.
When it comes to Kirk Cousins, where do we go from here? There are some things to keep in mind before we get started. First, here is Kirk Cousins’ current contract, courtesy of Spotrac. Remember that Kirk Cousins has another year left on his contract, which has a no-trade clause. Therefore, moving him prior to the 2024 season is unlikely, although not impossible. We’ll avoid exploring complex trade scenarios that COULD conceivably happen but are not likely, and stick to options that are more realistic.
Kirk Stays
I think we all understand that this is the most likely scenario. Kirk will stay another year, at least. He is under contract for the 2023 season, and has a full no-trade clause in his contract. There is every reason to assume that Kirk Cousins will be under center for the Vikings in 2023.
One-Year Stop Gap
If Kirk stays, then is he a one-year stop-gap? If so, what is your contingency plan? Going in with the idea that you’ll just address the issue in the 2023-2024 off-season is beyond stupid. The Vikings did that in 2011 and we ended up reaching for Christian Ponder. History speaks for itself on that practice, so let’s not do that again. I don’t think the Vikings feel that Mullens is the QBOTF, so if they feel that Kirk will no longer be a Viking beyond 2023, then they need to find their QBOTF in THIS off-season. Maybe they draft someone who they feel can be ready in a year. Maybe they sign a free agent like Baker Mayfield who they feel can provide adequate play for a lower cap hit in future years. I don’t know, but they need to have a plan in place. They DO NOT WANT TO enter the 2024 draft with a huge need at quarterback.
Kirk Extension
I think the most likely scenario is that the Vikings keep Kirk Cousins, and that they sign him to an extension. I didn’t say that I think they should do this, I just said that I think they will do this. Kirk carries a cap hit of $36.25 million in 2023, along with void years in 2024 and 2025 totaling $12.5 million.
The two main reasons you would want to sign Kirk to an extension are 1) you lock in your QB for another X years, and 2) to make the cap hit more manageable. You can accomplish the first one with an extension, but I’m not sure if you’re going to accomplish number two. Kirk’s cap hit of $36.25 million makes him 2023’s sixth-highest paid quarterback. Will he play for much less than that? Should he? Kirk will be the sixth-highest paid QB in the NFL in 2023, notwithstanding QB contracts that will be signed prior to the season, link courtesy of overthecap.
I suppose you could offer him a 3 year extension at $100 million. If he took that offer, once you added the extension, he would have an average salary of around $37.2 million from 2023-2026, so there’s really no room to generate cash savings with an extension. If you’re going to sign Kirk to an extension, you are doing so with the sole purpose of locking him in as your QB through the age of 38 (if you sign him to a three-year extension). You’re not going to generate cap room without back loading a guaranteed contract, which is NOT what you want to do as an NFL GM.
Kirk Released
For 2023, Cousins has a $36.25 million cap hit and carries a dead cap hit of $48.75 million, which is his 2023 salary plus $12.5 million in 2024-25 void year money. The $12.5 million in void year money will be paid to Kirk in ANY scenario, which is something to remember as we discuss options. There is no way on earth that the Vikings will release Kirk Cousins. It makes zero sense, and will not happen, so there’s no reason to discuss it.
Kirk Traded
Yes, Kirk has a full no-trade clause, so any potential trade would have to have Kirk’s full blessing. Let’s keep this in mind before proposing trading him to a horrible team like the Texans, a trade that he would never agree to. The Vikings could trade Kirk after 6/1, and they could save $30 million against the cap, while eating $6.25 million in dead money in 2023 and $12.5 million in 2024 (remember, that $12.5 million will be dead money that is incurred in ANY scenario). I’ll use CBS Sports’ list of QB-needy teams to review a list of potential trade partners. If I missed a team, let me have it in the comments, AND MAKE SURE TO VOTE BELOW!
- Carolina Panthers – Another new head coach? I don’t see Kirk wanting to go there
- Commanders – Funny
- Texans – Yeah, no.
- Saints – This is an interesting thought, and has some potential
- Giants – I shudder to think what Kirk could do to the Vikings 2022 defense.
- Falcons – Maybe?
- Buccaneers – If Brady retires, which he won’t, so nevermind
- Bears – Division rival, not happening, although after watching KAM in the last draft……….
- Lions – See: Bears
- Seahawks – This could be another intriguing possibility
What do the Vikings do with Kirk Cousins?
- Keep him through the end of his current deal, then move on (43%, 20 Votes)
- Keep him and sign him to an extension (41%, 19 Votes)
- Pull off some sort of trade (15%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
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I hate that he is QB of this team, but at least it makes me spend a lot less time and money on NFL things.
I don’t hate Kirk nor do I adore him (that just sounds creepy), but I have a feeling that he will be extended. Just my opinion, but if we replace him the odds that we get somebody better are low. Just look around the league and see how may bad quarterbacks there are. It not only takes a lot of work, but a whole heaping pile of luck to get the next Hall of Fame qb.
Making a roster that will truly be capable of a SB will take more than this coming off season. It might take 2-3. There’s no point in even having a good QB then. The front office, staff, and us the fans need to accept that we will and should suck for at least one of those seasons to acquire not only a decent number of draft picks, but high ones. Trade picks this season to move up, dump Kirk via trade (He can go to Tampa, they arent keeping Brady), eat the last year of his cap hit, draft our QB of the future and let him get experience or if Kirks here for one more year of mediocrity, let him sit behind him. In no way should he be extended. Its a waste of money, and potential return value for Kirk. Its kicking the can down the road, repeating the same thing expecting something different to change. If you truly want the Vikings to be SB competitors in the next half a decade, you have to move on from Kirk, this moment, right now. Stop being afraid to draft the future, no not every Rookie is Mahomes, but also not every one is Ponder. Those are stupid fears to have thinking every Rookie QB is going to be a bust. Its scared logic, you have to be willing to roll the dice. We need to clean this roster out and rebuild. Period. This is my stance, it will not change. I have zero faith in this team until 8 is off the roster.
This is beyond stupid. There is zero evidence to suggest that sucking will create a good team.
Ah, but there is evidence that being .500 or getting a WC game will guarantee you dont have a good team. Would you rather roll the dice? Or keep doing the same garbage with the same QB over, and over, and over and over? I know my answer.
Also there is evidence sucking to get a top QB gets a good team. Bengals, Chargers, Bills, etc. The fact you are afraid to have even ONE bad season, is kind of sad honestly.
It makes zero sense, and will not happen, so there’s no reason to discuss it.
it’s like you’re daring us 😂
Right?
Extend the man!
Question I keep asking myself, and a question I have yet to answer definitively is: “Can Kirk win you a Super Bowl?”
I’m not saying he can’t, but I don’t know that he can. I doubt he can while commanding as much salary as he commands. He’s the 3rd-highest paid QB in 2022, and will be the 6th-highest paid in 2023. That’s not commensurate with his level of play, IMO. He’s the 10th-highest in terms of AAV, which is probably more in line with reality.
I think the Kirk question should be “can he elevate the play of the players around him.”
No
Agreed
that’s likely what will happen, I’m not excited about it though