Kirk Cousins now has the long-term security he wanted with the Minnesota Vikings. But was it a good move by the franchise?
The Minnesota Vikings ended weeks of speculation by giving quarterback Kirk Cousins a contract extension on Monday.
The former Michigan State gunslinger penned a two-year extension worth a reported $66 million, with $61 million of it fully guaranteed. More importantly for the Vikings, it saved them $10 million in salary-cap space during a critical offseason for the franchise.
Cousins still has his fair share of doubters in Minnesota, with some questioning whether he can get the Vikings to the promised land and to an elusive Super Bowl win. He is coming off the best year of his career after overcoming some early struggles to get the organization back to the postseason.
Not only that, but he also got a significant monkey off his back with a memorable overtime victory in the wild card round over the New Orleans Saints, coming up big in the clutch. This is an area of his game that has been heavily criticized since he arrived in the NFL as a fourth-round pick out of Michigan State in 2012.
The hard work starts now for Cousins, who will be aware of the closing window for success with the current Vikings roster. With so many other changes expected in the days and weeks ahead, getting the most important position on the field locked up early on is going to give them the best possible chance of perfecting other positions of need.
Cousins’ extension will no doubt divide the Vikings’ fan base, but let’s take a look at five reasons why this new contract was a good move from the decision-makers in Minnesota.