It’s difficult to build around a quarterback on a big contract. The Vikings have found clever ways to allocate salary cap money elsewhere this offseason, but without Kirk Cousins’ deal hitting the books, they would have a much easier time building a roster.
ESPN ranked Minnesota 19th in its future power rankings (the next three seasons), though it wasn’t all bad. Jeremy Fowler, who writes for the outlet, thinks the team could have some cap flexibility:
“The 2022 cap will be tight under Cousins’ $45 million hit in the last year of his deal, but Minnesota has up to $133 million in space in 2023. This allows the Vikings to evaluate whether the Zimmer era regains its defensive footing over the next one to two years without overspending.”
Once Cousins’ deal runs out, the Vikings will have a decision to make: go with a quarterback on a cheaper contract, sign a different big-ticket quarterback or extend Cousins. If Minnesota elects to go with a cheaper quarterback, that would certainly give the team plenty of cap space to work with. Maybe the Vikings finally go and sign that wide receiver three.