2 pros and 3 cons of playing out the final year of Kirk Cousins’ contract

Would the Minnesota Vikings be smart to play out Kirk Cousins’ contract?

The Kirk Cousins situation continues to cloud the Minnesota Vikings heading into the start of the league year. With quarterback trades happening all across the NFL over the past week, the value in trading a starting quarterback has never been higher.

For a team like the Vikings, the 2022 season can go in a number of directions depending on the front office. If they want to go after a championship in 2022 – which is incredibly unlikely given the roster – then Kirk Cousins is their best bet. However, rebuilding a little bit and planning for the future would probably set the Vikings up a lot better for 2023 and beyond.

Kirk Cousins sits at the center of attention for the Vikings. His large cap hit that holds just one season left in Minnesota is the cause of a lot of debate just a week before free agency opens up. Do the Vikings trade Cousins for draft picks and free up cap space or do they sign him to an extension to lock up a starting quarterback for a few more years?

Or, possibly, could the Vikings just eat his contract for one more season as Kirk Cousins plays out the 2022 season on a one-year deal that effectively takes up $45 million against the cap? That would be a nightmare scenario for the Vikings.

Playing out his deal would have some benefits for Minnesota but it would come with far more disadvantages.