Who are some of the teams around the NFL that could be interested in making a deal to acquire Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins during the 2022 offseason?
We’re six games into the 2021 season for the Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins is playing some of the best football since he entered the NFL in 2012.
After the first six weeks, Cousins ranks among the 10 best passers in the league in completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns, interception percentage, and quarterback rating.
Despite his hot start, the Vikings have still only managed to win three of their first six games this season. Cousins doesn’t have much to do with Minnesota’s failures this year, but it’s disappointing that his impressive performances aren’t being rewarded with more victories.
If the Vikings continue on the path to finish the season with a record around .500, this could end up being the quarterback’s final year in the Twin Cities, regardless of how well he plays.
Some significant changes could be in the future if Minnesota doesn’t end up meeting their expectations this season and one of these changes could involve trading Cousins to another team. If this winds up being something the Vikings explore next year, who are some of the teams around the NFL that could be interested in making a deal for the veteran quarterback?
Denver Broncos
This past offseason, rumors were swirling about the Broncos potentially acquiring Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a trade. Obviously, no deal for Rodgers was made by Denver, but they’ll likely revisit a possible deal for the All-Pro quarterback in 2022.
If the Broncos don’t end up with the reigning league MVP on their roster next year, don’t be surprised if they turn their attention to working out a deal with the Vikings to acquire Kirk Cousins.
Former longtime Minnesota assistant general manager, George Paton, is now the general manager for Denver, so he’s very familiar with Cousins and what he brings to the table.
Currently, the Broncos are attempting to get into this season’s playoffs with former Vikings first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater as their starting quarterback, someone they acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers earlier this year.
If Denver ends up moving on from Bridgewater after this season, could Paton turn his attention to his former team for the Broncos’ next starting signal-caller?
Pittsburgh Steelers
For the last 18 years, Ben Roethlisberger has been the starting quarterback for the Steelers. Roethlisberger has accomplished a lot during his career with Pittsburgh, but his time with the team is likely coming to an end sooner than later.
His contract with the Steelers expires after the conclusion of the 2021 season and it’s hard to envision the team wanting to re-sign a 39-year-old quarterback to be their starter.
If Pittsburgh makes the logical choice and moves on from Roethlisberger in 2022, trading for Kirk Cousins might be something they explore.
If the Steelers would rather find a trade for a veteran quarterback instead of using an early-round 2022 draft pick on a young passer or making a current signal-caller on their roster the new starter, then Cousins could be their guy.
Pittsburgh has managed to still win three of their first six games this season despite Roethlisberger playing at a below-average level. It’s not crazy to believe that some within the Steelers organization have likely thought about how much more successful the team could be with starting quarterback that has the skills of someone like Cousins.
Houston Texans
There might not be a team in the NFL that has more question marks surrounding its future than the Texans right now.
Through the first six games this season, Houston only has one win. However, with nine picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and more than $40 million to spend in free agency next year, Houston has a chance to turn things around quickly if they utilize their resources correctly.
Davis Mills and Deshaun Watson are the only current Texans quarterbacks that have a contract that doesn’t expire in 2022. Mills is a rookie this year and Watson is likely never playing another snap for Houston, so the team will probably be in need of a new starting signal-caller for the 2022 season.
With the way things are heading, the Texans will likely have a top-five pick in next year’s NFL Draft. However, if Houston isn’t intrigued by any of the available passing prospects, they could be a team that makes a deal to acquire Kirk Cousins from the Vikings in 2022.
Carolina Panthers
Anyone who watched the Vikings’ Week 6 win over the Panthers would agree that Sam Darnold‘s future as Carolina’s starting quarterback isn’t exactly secure.
The Panthers exercised Darnold’s fifth-year option this past offseason, but they can still release him in 2022 and not lose any salary-cap space. Judging by how he performed in Week 6 against Minnesota, his exit from Carolina next year is still a realistic possibility.
If the Panthers decide to move on from Darnold in 2022, could they attempt to make a trade with the Vikings to land Kirk Cousins?
Carolina is a team that continues to still be in the discussion when it comes to places where the Texans might send quarterback Deshaun Watson. If the Panthers don’t land Watson before the 2022 season though, could they shift their focus to making a deal with Minnesota to acquire Cousins?
Carolina already has a bunch of their roster set for the next few years with a number of young players continuing to progress in their development. If they trade for the Vikings’ current starting quarterback, it could a move that vaults the Panthers from a fringe playoff contender to a guaranteed playoff contender.
Miami Dolphins
Why would the Dolphins have any interest in trading for Kirk Cousins when they just used the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa?
Well, probably for similar reasons related to why Miami continues to be included as a rumored destination for current Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Not everyone within the Dolphins is confident in Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback and the team’s ownership wants to see his organization become a winner sooner than later.
With almost $80 million in salary-cap space expected to be available for Miami in addition to having nine picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, there are a bunch of approaches they can take next year when it comes to improving their roster.
If the Dolphins don’t end up with Watson in 2022, it wouldn’t be shocking if they had some interest in trading for Kirk Cousins as a consolation prize. At this point in his career, he can offer Miami a better chance to succeed than Tagovailoa can, and this thought alone could be all it would take to convince the team’s ownership to get behind a deal for Cousins next year.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts just traded for Carson Wentz less than a year ago, so it might be difficult for some to believe they could be in the market for a new quarterback once again in 2022. But it’s definitely still possible that Indianapolis could be looking for a new starting signal-caller next year if they don’t think Wentz is the answer.
So far this season, Wentz is off to a good start with over 1,500 passing yards to go along with nine touchdowns and just one interception. However, the Colts are only 2-4 this year with him as their starter.
Wentz’s current contract doesn’t expire until 2025, but Indianapolis can still release him next year and free up more than $13 million in cap space. Combine this with the almost $60 million in spending money the Colts are projected to have in 2022 and they could have the chance to make some major roster upgrades after this season.
Indianapolis might not be interested in trading for a veteran quarterback for the second year in a row. But if the Vikings make Kirk Cousins available, it might be difficult for the Colts to pass on the opportunity to acquire him if they believe he can lead them to more success than Wentz.
(Current and projected salary cap info via Spotrac.com and OverTheCap.com)