Most are assuming the Minnesota Vikings will just extend their relationship with Kirk Cousins this offseason with a new deal. But what if this actually doesn’t happen?
Two years ago, during the 2018 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings made a decision to not re-sign any of the three quarterbacks from their 2017 roster who became free agents. Instead, the Vikings put all of their focus into landing the top signal-caller on the market in Kirk Cousins.
Cousins and Minnesota were able to come to an agreement and it resulted in the quarterback being given a three-year, fully-guaranteed $84 million deal. Easily, the most money the Vikings had ever given to a starting signal-caller in their history as a franchise.
So here we are, now two years after Cousins agreed to come to Minnesota and both the player and the team are heading into an offseason that could define their future.
During his tenure with the Vikings, the quarterback has experienced both struggles and success. Cousins did help Minnesota return to the playoffs last season, but it didn’t result in the team making it to the Super Bowl like everyone was hoping for when the team landed him in 2018.
The majority seem to be assuming the Vikings and Cousins will agree to a contract extension sometime this offseason that will lengthen his stay in the Twin Cities. But what if this doesn’t end up happening?
What if Cousins decides he wants to just play out the final year of his contract and hit free agency again in 2021. He’s bet on himself in the past and it worked out for him financially. So what’s to stop him from doing it again?
There have already been rumors of Cousins drawing interest from the San Francisco 49ers if he becomes a free agent after next season and if that’s a place where he wants to play, he definitely won’t be signing an extension this year.
So if Minnesota is unable to extend Cousins this offseason, they need to begin thinking about a possible replacement for him under center. There’s still a chance that he could return to the Vikings in 2021 even if he doesn’t agree to an extension this year. But Minnesota must still take the proper precautions to deal with Cousins potentially being somewhere else after next season.
If their current starting quarterback plans to hit free agency in 2021, the Vikings have a few options to choose from.
They can commit an early-round draft pick to a young-signal caller and hope that this player can develop into the future of the franchise. There are a number of talented passing prospects in both this year’s draft pool and the group that is expected to be available in the 2021 draft, so Minnesota could certainly consider this as a possible option.
The Vikings could also turn to free agency, once again, after next season to find a new starting quarterback. Cam Newton could potentially hit the market in 2021 and he could be someone Minnesota decides to pursue if Cousins wants to play somewhere else.
Lastly, the Vikings could look into trading for a new starter under center. There are a number of talented quarterbacks who could become available for a trade by the time 2021 comes around that might possibly include guys like Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, and Carson Wentz.
So while there are many with the current mindset that Cousins is going to be Minnesota’s starting quarterback well past the 2021 season, the chance of this not happening cannot be ruled out either. The Vikings need to make sure they are prepared for whatever scenario plays out with their current signal-caller and make a plan to ensure their team continues to be competitive.