3 reasons why the Vikings might trade Kirk Cousins this year

Cap relief for now and the future

If salary cap relief is going to be what causes the Vikings to trade Kirk Cousins this offseason, it’s likely going to be more for the amount of money the move would clear up for 2022 and not so much for the space that would be created from a deal this year.

If Minnesota traded Cousins this offseason, they would only clear $11 million in cap space for this year. However, dealing the quarterback would also result in an extra $45 million in cap space for the Vikings in 2022.

It’s already expected that Minnesota will need to part ways with some notable players this offseason just to break even with the 2021 salary cap by the start of the new league year in March.

So if Minnesota is already thinking about the moves they could make in 2022, then Cousins could potentially be one of the players the team attempts to get rid of during the next few weeks.