5 reasons why the Vikings were right to extend Kirk Cousins

A front office endorsement

Kirk Cousins was heading into the final year of his fully-guaranteed, $84 million deal with plenty of uncertainty as he awaited contract negotiations to get underway.

Speculation was rife as to whether the Vikings would give him a new deal before the season or opt for a wait and see approach. This would have put a significant amount of pressure on the quarterback’s shoulders in 2020 if he was forced to play his way into a long-term deal.

Giving him this extra security ahead of OTAs is a ringing endorsement from the decision-makers in Minnesota. This is now officially Cousins’ team for the considerable future and he can now play with a freedom that could make a massive difference going forward.

The last thing Minnesota needed was a quarterback looking over his shoulder and playing tentatively with so much on the line regarding his future with the franchise. Time is something the Vikings do not have with this current window and they needed to get proactive in order to maximize the chances of a deep playoff run with Cousins under center.

This is also a huge boost for Cousins in that he will now know he has the full backing of people like general manager Rick Spielman, head coach Mike Zimmer, and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. He seems to be a confidence-driven quarterback and this extension is also something that could take his game to new heights.