Kirk Cousins disappointed many in his first year with the Vikings, but he bounced back in his next season and had some undeniably good games.
From lighting up the defenses of Detroit and Philadelphia in consecutive weeks to showing poise in the playoff victory over the Saints, Cousins proved that he was a quarterback capable of living up to a large contract.
The question for the Vikings, however, still remains after another season: is Cousins the guy to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota?
The bar for this team is very high and the toll Cousins’ contract takes — in terms of signing talent around him — is astronomical. Cousins had a good season, but $31 million, the total in dead money this season if the Vikings cut him, is a lot, and there’s no money to be saved, so that’s basically not an option.
One possibility might be an extension that brings the Vikings back to the negotiation table with Cousins. He could sign a short-term deal that could free up cap space for other players, and also guarantee him more years of job security with a Super Bowl contender.
It might be hard to get Cousins to agree to that, but the perception of him is that he can only take a team so far (usually an early playoff exit), so maybe taking less money is ideal for his legacy.
Putting other good players around him not only gives Cousins a chance to prove the naysayers wrong, but also, if he was to win a championship, raises his earning potential in future seasons. The Vikings would likely want him as their starting quarterback down the road, and if not, I’m sure teams would take a flyer on him.
That might be ideal for Minnesota, considering this other option: trading him.
That contract is still an albatross. Teams that saw the year Cousins had last season might want to take a chance, but he would be owed $29.5 million (if he’s traded before June 1) by a team that wants him, barring any change in the deal, according to Over the Cap. Another factor is Cousins’ no-trade clause. If you were Cousins, why would you wave that clause just to go play for the Chargers or some other team? Among the teams that would want him, the Vikings are probably his best bet to contend given he knows what the offense is capable of and that the defense is solid.
Cousins is clearly a good quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo proved that with a good defense behind you, a game-manager can at least take a team to the Super Bowl. Will Cousins be enough for Minnesota to end the championship drought, or do the Vikings need to cut their ties down the road in order to take the next step? We’re going to have to see.