5 reasons why the Vikings should consider trading Kirk Cousins in 2023

Kirk Cousins is only going to become more expensive

The primary argument to trade Kirk Cousins comes down to money. According to Over The Cap, the Vikings are currently $23.4 million over the salary cap heading into this offseason. While the easy answer for fans is to restructure Cousins’ contract or to offer him another one-year extension for next offseason, both of those options have their drawback.

For starters, Cousins already has two void years tacked onto the end of his current deal. If the Vikings were to restructure his contract, that money would likely be added to those void years, limiting cap room in future seasons. The same would happen if Cousins agreed to another one-year extension, pushing even more money down the road at the cost of future seasons.

There’s also an argument on Cousins’ side to get a raise from Minnesota despite a statistical decline in his performance. Cousins has never been one to agree to long-term deals, but there’s a possibility he could push for a five-year extension that would lock him up into his 40s.

With a report that Daniel Jones is seeking an annual average value in excess of $35 million, Cousins’ camp will likely push to exceed that number. If the answer is north of $40 million, the Vikings would have to consider the cost of an extension – especially with Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson due for lucrative extensions this offseason and Christian Darrisaw due for a payday in 2024.