The free-agent quarterback is not going to be cheap, so how should the Minnesota Vikings go about trying to sign him?
For those opposed to signing Kirk Cousins this offseason, the top reason for many has to do with how much he is estimated to cost.
Spotrac currently has Cousins’ market value earning him a salary of $25.6 million per season. But recent reports have the quarterback possibly wanting a deal that pays him closer to $30 million per year.
Jimmy Garoppolo was just given a massive five-year, $137.5 million contract from the San Francisco 49ers and he has only started seven games in the last four seasons. Cousins and his agent will likely be looking to get even more money than what Garoppolo received this year.
If winning is not a factor, then Cousins could easily get whatever amount of money he wants from a team like the New York Jets or the Cleveland Browns, who both have a ton of cap space this offseason. But the quarterback has stated that in the recent past that he wants to go to a team where he can win a championship.
"“Because I’ve been franchise-tagged twice, I’ve been in a position where it’s not about the money so much, it’s about winning. I want to win.”"
If that is truly the case for Cousins, then the Minnesota Vikings have one of the best shots of any team in the NFL to sign the quarterback this year.
So what would be an ideal contract for the Vikings to offer the quarterback?
First, Cousins is going to probably want a long-term deal of at least five years. For Minnesota, five years should be the absolute max number offered. Four with an option for a fifth year would be wonderful, but that may be a little more difficult to get the quarterback to agree to.
Minnesota Vikings
Money wise, $140 million is probably a number close to what the Vikings would offer. It would not only be more than what Garoppolo got a few weeks ago, but it should be enough to satisfy Cousins and his agent’s wants.
How Minnesota decides to divide up the money is where things would begin to get a little more interesting.
The Vikings typically either back-load their players’ contracts (bigger cap hits at the end) or spread the money out pretty evenly throughout the length of the deal.
For Cousins, Minnesota would likely back-load his contract, allowing them to have more money to spend on impending 2019 free-agents Anthony Barr, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, and Stefon Diggs.
Plus the salary cap continues to increase each and every year, which would give the Vikings more money to afford a contract as large as one they would offer to Cousins.
Next: Kirk Cousins could be what the Vikings need
The free-agent quarterback will probably get larger offers from other teams this offseason, but the Vikings give him the best opportunity to win immediately. It will just be up to Cousins to decide if the chance for success actually is more important to him than the money.