Once in a similar position, former NFL quarterback Neil O’Donnell recently commented on what is probably going through Kirk Cousins’ mind right now.
In a little over a week, the Minnesota Vikings will likely know whether or not Kirk Cousins will be the team’s starting quarterback for the 2018 season.
The Vikings can legally talk to Cousins’ agent on Monday, March 12 at 4 p.m. EST. However, no contracts can be signed until the new league year begins on Wednesday, March 14.
So by next Friday, Minnesota should have a pretty good idea about their quarterback situation for 2018 (well, hopefully at least).
Since he is a quarterback, Cousins is expected to get a pretty nice chunk of change from whichever team he chooses to sign with this offseason. Some can afford to offer him more than others, but that does not necessarily mean the veteran signal caller will follow the money trail.
One former NFL quarterback knows quite well what Cousins is going through right now.
Neil O’Donnell was once the hot item on the free-agent market back in 1996 when he eventually chose to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers and sign a five-year deal with the New York Jets worth $25 million.
O’Donnell went to the team offering him more money and a year after going to the Super Bowl with the Steelers, he was part of a Jets team that finished with a 1-15 record.
In a recent interview with ESPN, the former NFL quarterback offered his opinion on how Cousins should make his decision this offseason.
Minnesota Vikings
"“This isn’t Kirk Cousins’ first payday; he’s been getting paid for a long time with the Redskins. It’s easy for a lot of people to look at the money side of it and all, but I know a lot of people who have a lot of money who are miserable.You want to win when you’re at his age. It’s not like he’s coming out of college or trying to get his so-called free-agency payday. That’s not necessarily true with him because he’s been making decent money for a long time.I think he’s going to weigh all options. Where does he have the best chance to win? I mean, let’s be realistic, when you’re that age, you have to.”"
O’Donnell didn’t offer up any sort of prediction on where Cousins would land. But based on his comments, one could venture a guess that he believes the Vikings have a good shot at signing the free-agent quarterback this year.
Next: Kirk Cousins could be what the Vikings need
Cousins has already made more than $46 million during his six seasons in the league. Is he willing to take a little less than desired to land with a winning team like Minnesota or will he just try and get as much money as possible somewhere else?