2 pros and 3 cons of playing out the final year of Kirk Cousins’ contract
By Luke Parrish
What if the Vikings miss out on a young quarterback in 2022 or 2023?
Taking a gamble on Kirk Cousins might end up costing the Vikings long after Cousins is out of town. Assuming he comes back for one more season, the Vikings will want to build the roster in a way that helps them win and puts the right pieces around Kirk without thinking too far ahead into the future.
If that is the case, the Vikings are probably not going to spend their first-round draft pick in 2022 on a quarterback if one falls into their lap. They also will not trade up into the top ten to secure a player like Malik Willis if they think other rookies can get them over the hump with Kirk Cousins at quarterback for one season.
That issue extends beyond just next season. As I’ve said, Kirk Cousins is good enough to keep the Vikings from being near the bottom of the league. If he does return and the Vikings pass up on other quarterbacks in 2022, they probably will not be in a position to draft one in 2023 either.
Playing Kirk Cousins is going to keep the Vikings out of the running for C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft. That would knock two years’ worth of drafts out of the mix for the Vikings as they search for a long-term answer at quarterback.
Kirk Cousins is crippling the Minnesota Vikings with his refusal to take a pay cut. If they continue to play in his favor, the Vikings will be set up for a long period of frustration once he is gone.