6 contracts holding the Vikings back right now
By Adam Carlson
Vikings contract No. 1
Kirk Cousins, quarterback
It's easy to look at the quarterback situation for the Minnesota Vikings and think that the team can move on from Kirk Cousins this offseason in favor of a rookie from the 2024 NFL Draft or a free agent who will be less expensive.
If Cousins isn't part of the Vikings roster for the upcoming season his impact will still loom over the franchise. Because of decisions made to free up cap space in a previous season, Cousins is set to have a cap hit of $28.5 million whether he plays for Minnesota or not.
This means that if Kirk Cousins agrees stick around for two years at $35 million fully guaranteed, his actual cap hit would be $63.5 million since that is money owed to the quarterback from services already rendered.
Accounting for approximately 11.3 percent of the Minnesota Vikings' salary cap space in 2024 without being on the roster hurts. This ripple effect from Cousins' contract will last through the 2027 season, but 2024 will be the biggest hit of the bunch.