As much as Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell want Kirk Cousins to return, as popular as Cousins has become since his breakout role in Netflix’s “Quarterback” documentary, and as much as many Vikings fans now consider Cousins to be a Minnesotan, one thing always has been clear about him.
Above all else, he is a Hall of Fame negotiator.
That’s what made it so comical when some thought Cousins might take a hometown discount to remain with the Vikings. Cousins and his family seem to enjoy Minnesota, but this is not his hometown. This is the place where he came in 2018 because he cut himself the exact deal he wanted when he hit free agency. That was a three-year, $84 million deal that was fully guaranteed, the first fully guaranteed contract ever for a quarterback.
Cousins has signed two contract extensions with the Vikings since, but it looks like that marriage might come to an end next week. The Atlanta Falcons reportedly are in pursuit of Cousins, and the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders also have been mentioned as a potential landing spot. Of all of the NFL’s pending free agents, Cousins’ name might have been the hottest at last week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
The NFL’s negotiating window, or legal tampering period, opens March 11 and free agency starts on March 13, but O’Connell indicated during an interview with NFL Network on Saturday that some teams might have had discussions with Cousins already. Safe to say that’s exactly what happened, and Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, knows what any team interested in his client will be willing to offer.
If it’s a better deal than what the Vikings have on the table, Cousins almost certainly is gone. Joining the Falcons would put Cousins in a system that he’s already familiar with — new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, like O’Connell, worked for Rams coach Sean McVay — and Cousins’ wife, Julie, is from the Atlanta area.
If Cousins leaves, he will do so having made $185 million from the Vikings, an average of $30.8 million per season. For that they will have gotten two playoff appearances, one victory and some very impressive statistical performances over six seasons.
Cousins’ potential departure will leave some Vikings fans mad at him and others upset with the franchise. The one thing we all should have in common is an admiration for what Cousins has accomplished at the negotiating table.
This is a guy who was a fourth-round draft pick of Washington in 2012 and had the franchise tag put on him in back-to-back seasons by Washington before becoming a free agent in 2018. Nobody has worked the system better, and he’s done it in a league that often favors ownership in negotiations.
Assuming Cousins gets what he wants, he will do so having not taken a snap since he tore his Achilles in late October in Green Bay. He will turn 36 years old on Aug. 19 and yet he still figures to get at least one more big contract. From a business standpoint, everything Cousins does is calculated. Free agency is approaching? Cousins posts video of himself dropping back on a court to show how far his recovery has come.
It’s genius.
Those who figure to be upset with Cousins will point to the fact that he’s leaving a team with weapons such as Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, not to mention a coach and play-caller, O’Connell, who has done everything to cater to Cousins’ strengths.
Two years ago, Cousins tied an NFL record by leading eight fourth-quarter comebacks as the Vikings went 13-4 in O’Connell’s first season. Last season, the Vikings got off to a 1-4 start, but Cousins was having a fantastic statistical season and the Vikings were about to even their record at 4-4 when he got hurt.
Despite how Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell feel about Cousins, the Vikings appear to have drawn a line this time. You could see this coming last March, when Cousins and the Vikings discussed an extension that didn’t happen.
Cousins was willing to take less money overall at the time, but Cousins wanted a contract with guarantees through 2025, according to the Star Tribune. The Vikings balked.
The issue now is if Cousins isn’t signed by March 12, it’s likely the Vikings will drop out of the bidding. That’s because they would carry a $28.5 million dead money charge on their salary cap for 2024 and then have another Cousins-related charge based on his new deal.
So how will this end?
The legal tampering period — when many deals are agreed upon — is a week away, giving the Vikings and Cousins that time to continue discussions.
The question is how much the Vikings and Cousins each will be willing to bend. Given Cousins and McCartney’s history at the negotiating table, it likely will be the Vikings who are asked to bend the most.
If they don’t, Cousins is likely to get the guaranteed money he wants from someone else. That’s what Hall of Fame negotiators do.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com.
