10 bold predictions for the Minnesota Vikings 2023 offseason

Kirk Cousins will get another extension

In order to pay Jefferson, the Vikings will have to create cap room. Minnesota enters the offseason $19.3 million over the salary cap, and the decisions to cut, release, or trade players may be the biggest story of the offseason.

While the playoffs may be over, this is where Kirk Cousins plays his Super Bowl. A string of one-year, fully-guaranteed contracts followed the initial three-year, $84 million contract in 2018, and with the Vikings needing to find cap room, there’s a good chance he’ll be back at the negotiating table.

This is where things could get tricky. Cousins will have a valid argument for a raise after leading the Vikings to a 13-win season and increasing his presence in the locker room. He also posted his lowest passer rating since 2017 and was second in the league with 14 interceptions.

If Cousins were entering his age-25 season, the decision to pay him would be a little easier. Entering his age-35 season, the conversation becomes a little more difficult.

But even if the Vikings see a quarterback they like in the upcoming draft, it’s unlikely that they will be able to select him at No. 24. With just four picks in the draft, it’s also improbable that the Vikings would have the draft capital needed to move up and make a trade.

This leaves the Vikings in their own Stockholm Syndrome for Cousins, pumping out another one-year extension to keep him under center.