Breaking: Vikings Agree Short-Term Deal To Sign $18.9 Million QB As Kirk Cousins Replacement
The Minnesota Vikings, who are in dire need of a quarterback right now, are allegedly considering one 2024 short-term alternative.
Following Kirk Cousins’ departure, the Vikings are anticipated to pursue Sam Darnold, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. But, they will face competition because Darnold is rumored to have other suitors.
With the San Francisco 49ers, Darnold served as Brock Purdy’s backup throughout the previous campaign. While Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall are the only quarterbacks on the Vikings roster right now, he would not be a very inspirational pick among supporters of the team. He was undoubtedly highly trusted by the 49ers as a backup, but in his two prior starting positions with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, he was unable to produce regular wins.
Kirk Cousins made the decision to go elsewhere on Monday, thus the Vikings will need to find a starting quarterback. They may also try to select a quarterback in the draft, but because they have the 11th overall pick, they may need to trade up to grab one of the top players available.
Kirk Cousins Cashed In On Being A Constant In A Game Of Variables
The Minnesota Vikings made a significant investment in Kirk Cousins by signing him to a $84 million, fully guaranteed contract in 2018. Former general manager Rick Spielman admitted this. Spielman remarked, “Once you make that decision, then there’s no turning back.” “With permission from the ownership, we are going to go all in and go as hard as we can.”
With Cousins’ contract, the quarterback market was reset at $28 million annually, and the New York Jets offered him a guaranteed $90 million. However, Cousins claimed that the only reason he came to Minnesota was to win. Cousins declared, “This is a lifetime deal.” That is the objective. Although the agreement is just for three years, both parties expect to raise their children here and, if all goes according to plan, to stay for a very long time.
Cousins inked a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. Given their $100 million guarantee, Cousins will have made at least $331 million in his professional life. That’s pretty bad for a player the Washington Commanders selected to support Robert Griffin in the fourth round of the 2012 draft.
Cousins weren’t shy about expressing his desires. He is concerned about structure and has requested guaranteed contracts. Ten years ago, Cousins says a coach taught him, “It’s not about the dollars.” “What matters is what the dollars stand for.” Although coming off an Achilles injury, Cousins, 35, wanted the Vikings to commit to him for a number of years. It makes sense that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the front desk didn’t want to take that chance. The cousins moved to Atlanta.
This is not the place to harbor resentment. In addition to the NFL being a business, no one behaved dishonestly. The Vikings needed to convince Cousins that he was the best quarterback they could have this season because he wanted to play in Minnesota. However, the Falcons were prepared to face
There should be no hard feelings here. Beyond the NFL being a business, nobody acted in bad faith. Cousins wanted to play in Minnesota, and the Vikings had to know he was the best option they could put under center this year. But the Falcons were willing to take on more risk. They made Cousins an offer he couldn’t refuse, and he took it.
Atlanta is the bride’s hometown, and that is where they got married. Although Cousins intended to end his career in Minnesota, Atlanta makes sense as a destination for him to have a second residence. Jan. 26: “My kids adore kindergarten,” the cousins stated. “But you also need to tell yourself that I’ll have to look for a good kindergarten somewhere else if it comes to that.”
The Vikings had to have seen this coming. Not necessarily that Cousins would leave, but that he could. He was the top quarterback on the market, and it only takes one team to go all-in and disrupt Minnesota’s plans. Everyone saw Cousins’ performance against the San Francisco 49ers. Someone was going to gamble on him. The Falcons must feel they are a quarterback away from competing and are willing to risk signing a 35-year-old coming off an Achilles injury.
Adofo-Mensah stated in a statement on Monday, “Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position.” “We are making plans that will enable us to keep assembling a team capable of contending for a championship.” What exactly are those plans, though? Sam Darnold is apparently being pursued by the Vikings. Perhaps Gardner Minshew or Jacob Brissett end up with them. In any case, none of those quarterbacks will likely improve Minnesota’s chances of winning the following season.
In the end, there are two mysteries that the Vikings need to discover. First, they need to make sure they can renew Justin Jefferson’s contract. Prior to resigning, Jefferson stated he needed to know Minnesota’s quarterbacking plans. The Vikings should definitely do a roster reset if they lose Cousins, Jefferson, and Danielle Hunter this offseason. That probably implies hiring new coaches and front desk personnel.
If Jefferson is pleased with Minnesota’s draft aspirations, he might resign, but the Vikings finished with the 11th pick last season because they weren’t a complete bust. That means they have to take a chance on a quarterback like Michael Penix or J.J. McCarthy, or they have to give enough to get into the top three and grab whoever falls. Because he could get Jefferson the ball, Cousins had value. He stood for something that’s almost definite.
It’s always uncertain which quarterbacks will be selected in the draft, so it’s possible that Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Brent Williams won’t be the top picks. However, even with that qualification, the Vikings are taking a chance on not using a top-three choice in the hopes of acquiring a signal-caller good enough to keep Jefferson around. Although hindsight is 20/20, the victory over the Niners on Monday night raised Cousins’ worth and made it more difficult for Minnesota to obtain a first-round pick. For a short while, everyone was enamored with Josh Dobbs, but it was improbable that Dobbs would lead Minnesota to the postseason.
In the end, Minnesota would have been better off suffering a loss to San Francisco. They ought to have collapsed. The Vikings shouldn’t have attempted to lose that game because nobody could have known that at the time. Great front offices, nevertheless, always have the long term in mind. After losing Cousins in Week 8, the Vikings concentrated on winning in 2023 when they ought to have been planning for 2024.
This offseason, Minnesota was unable to franchise tag Hunter and Cousins. Cousins has a dead cap of $28.5 million for the upcoming season and $18 million for the following three, but Jefferson wants to be on a successful team.The majority of 0–3 clubs miss the playoffs. When Cousins tore his Achilles at Lambeau, the Vikings knew all of that. Even so, they made an effort to succeed last year rather than selling before the deadline.
Cousins has proven to us that he is a skilled negotiator and can display flashy stats. Although Cousins has performed better lately in primetime, the Vikings invested $185 million in him, and he has only won one postseason game. In 2017, Spielman believed he was the lone element missing from a historically strong defense. When O’Connell thought he could elevate Cousins to a higher level, Adofo-Mensah made a double move against him. Cousins continued to be essentially the same player that he always was.
Cousins might not have made the playoffs in Minnesota, and the transaction might not have worked out for the long run. However, in his six seasons with the Vikings, he passed for 23,265 yards, had a 101.2 passer rating, and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Cousins made life-altering money and put up figures. In his mid-30s, he used his skill to secure a $100 million contract. Though things don’t always go as expected, he arrived in Minnesota and left with a lot of success.
