Vikings expected to find out about Kirk Cousins tampering saga this week

Kirk Cousins may not be part of future plans for the Minnesota Vikings but the team's former quarterback could still be a factor in the future of the franchise depending on how the league rules on a possible tampering instance.

This offseason, cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons but there is some evidence that the NFC South team could have opened discussions with the free-agent passer before the start of the legal tampering period.

If the Falcons are found to have tampered with Cousins before signing him, the league will likely take some kind of action to penalize them. It's hard to know what that penalty would be or how it would impact the Vikings, but it would be sure to be interesting.

Vikings expected to find out about Kirk Cousins tampering saga this week

The NFL could make an example of the Falcons by making Atlanta forfeit one of their selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Past resolutions involved teams like the Chiefs and Dolphins forfeiting picks with Miami losing a first-round pick in 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024 in addition to fines for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

If Atlanta loses their first-round pick in 2024, that could have a major impact on the draft. Because they own the rights to pick No. 8 overall, that means the Vikings could move from selecting No. 11 to No. 10 during night one of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday.

An official date for a resolution to this issue has not been announced, but NFL Insider Adam Schefter recently shared on ESPN that he expects something to be handed down before the start of the draft on April 25.

Since the Vikings are expected to pursue their quarterback of the future in this draft, making their selections more valuable could be huge when attempting to move up. Minnesota already made a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire a second first-round pick this year and are in a solid position to make a move on Thursday.

Some fans are hoping that Minnesota will receive compensation if Atlanta is found to have tampered with Kirk Cousins in free agency, but there hasn't been any precedent of the NFL dealing with these types of issues in that manner.

Keep an eye on this situation as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches. At a time when the Minnesota Vikings could make a big move, it would be great if they could get a little help from the league, the Falcons, and Kirk Cousins.