7 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings 2020 offseason

Cousins will get a contract extension

Coming into the 2019 season, the Vikings wanted to know what they could get out of Kirk Cousins. After his first year in Minnesota where he put up great stats, but he couldn’t lead the Vikings to the playoffs, there was a strong contingent of fans disappointed in his performance and they needed to see more in order to deem him their long-term solution.

The answer was somewhere in between. Cousins’ 2019 season wasn’t as gaudy statistically, but it included more efficiency as he averaged 8.1 yards per attempt while he tossed 26 touchdowns to six interceptions. In addition, Cousins began to cross off some of the narratives that have haunted his career including a pair of primetime wins and a playoff victory on the road over the New Orleans Saints.

But there just seems to be something missing from Cousins’ performance that can put this team over the top. As a quarterback who needs to stay on schedule, his offensive line let him down in key spots including a Week 16 meltdown at home against the Green Bay Packers and during Minnesota’s divisional-round loss to San Francisco.

With dynamic quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson taking over the league, it would be wise for the Vikings to at least explore if there’s a better option in 2020. But Minnesota also doesn’t want to leave themselves without a security net, meaning Cousins is likely to get paid.

If the Vikings can strike a one or two-year extension with Cousins, they can at least dip their toes in the water before making another decision on the veteran quarterback down the road.

If they find their guy this year, they can deal Cousins after 2020 (he has a no-trade clause for next year) and hope they’ve found their answer. With the added incentive of clearing salary cap space, an extension for Cousins seems like a no-brainer this offseason.