Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is the most polarizing player on the field.
One group of Vikings fans sees an incredibly talented individual who’s a borderline top-10 player at his position. And then there’s the other group of fans, who have been loud enough to seem like the majority these days. That’s the group that believes the team is wasting valuable time and money with Cousins under center.
It’s the group that was grabbing the nearest barf bag when the 33-year-old quarterback got more guaranteed money and a no trade clause tacked on to another contract extension on Sunday.
When asked about the outside criticism on KFAN Radio, via the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, Cousins called out the “detractors,” but he also acknowledged the fact that Vikings fans simply wanted to see the team win more football games.
“The fans are fans of the Minnesota Vikings and they don’t want to see us go .500,” said Cousins. “…I think winning football games and being able to say there was meaningful success in January and February [is] really how a quarterback will be measured in the big picture.”
#Vikings QB Kirk Cousins on KFAN Radio on if he hears criticism of him: "The fans are fans of the Minnesota Vikings and they don't want to see us go .500." Said there "will be detractors" when the Vikings fall short and he expects that.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 15, 2022
By adding the extra year on Cousins’ contract, the Vikings are spared what would have been a $45 million salary cap hit in 2022, while Cousins gets a pay bump with a no trade clause tacked onto his deal.
Fans are concerned the team is making the same mistake they made when former general manager Rick Spielman signed Cousins to a two-year, $66 million extension.
If anything, the Vikings are kicking the can down the road for next year, when they’ll likely have to come to the negotiating table once again.
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