If Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson stay put this year, CBS Sports believes it could result in the Minnesota Vikings trading Kirk Cousins to the Denver Broncos.
Prior to agreeing to sign his first contract with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, Kirk Cousins was also being pursued in free agency by the Denver Broncos and New York Jets.
Both franchises had a significant amount of interest in Cousins, but the veteran quarterback ultimately decided to join a Vikings team that was coming off an appearance in the 2017 NFC Championship.
Fast forward to the current offseason, and there are some who believe that the Broncos could be a team that makes a trade for Cousins during the next few weeks.
CBS Sports predicts the Minnesota Vikings will trade Kirk Cousins to the Denver Broncos
Recently, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin predicted the quarterback moves that will take place this offseason once the new league year begins on March 16.
However, Benjamin made these predictions based on a stipulation that Aaron Rodgers will remain with the Green Bay Packers and Russell Wilson will remain with the Seattle Seahawks.
So if Rodgers and Wilson stay with their current teams this year, Benjamin has projected Denver to make a trade that ends up with them acquiring Cousins from Minnesota.
Here’s why the CBS Sports writer believes the Vikings quarterback could land with the Broncos.
"“Denver is ready to compete now. They have a run game, offensive line, receiving corps, and defense built to make a playoff run. All they need is an established QB. With the pipe dream of a Rodgers relocation put to rest, Cousins is the best alternative.”"
Benjamin also mentioned that Denver’s current general manager, George Paton, was the assistant general manager in Minnesota when Cousins signed with the Vikings in 2018. So Paton’s familiarity with the quarterback could lead to him making a deal with Minnesota this offseason.
Later on in his predictions, Benjamin also has the Vikings signing Jameis Winston in free agency this year to replace Cousins. He believes Winston’s big arm could still provide Minnesota with the ability to throw down the field to Justin Jefferson if they move on from Cousins.
Some of Benjamin’s other quarterback predictions included Derek Carr to the Indianapolis Colts, Jimmy Garoppolo to the Las Vegas Raiders, Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders, and Teddy Bridgewater to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.