Day One of the Minnesota Vikings’ regime under coach Kevin O’Connell may not be off to the best start. With the team introducing O’Connell today, it had been assumed a potential contract extension with Kirk Cousins, was likely the next big domino to fall.
Based on their previous experience where O’Connell was his quarterback coach for a year in Washington back in 2017, the thought has been that the Vikings would be going all-in on the three-time Pro Bowl QB in the form of an extension.
While some might not love the idea of extending Cousins, an agreement would likely help both the QB and the organization’s salary cap crunch by bringing his 2022 cap number down. This would essentially help general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah build a better roster around him right away by having more money to spend this offseason.
But not so fast, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, who suggests people close to Cousins may not want to renegotiate the contract he signed in March of 2020, because he’d prefer to do what he always does, play out the original contract he agreed to.
If Kirk Cousins doesn’t want to re-negotiate, then what?
If Kirk Cousins doesn’t want to hear out the front office via a new contract negotiation, this could pose a problem for the Vikings.
Kirk Cousins contract: Cap savings of $35 million if traded before June 1 – $10M in dead money on cap
Or, it might just convince them to actually dabble in the trade market, where some big names could potentially be available. Deshaun Watson, for one, has been believed to be high on the Vikings. Then, there’s Justin Jefferson, who’s tossed out a few high-profile names himself as of late.
We’ll see what ultimately happens with Cousins in Minnesota. At his best, he’s capable of helping them get to the playoffs, but at his worst, his contract is an anchor to the team’s salary cap, and it may get to the point where the franchise decides they’re better off without him.