Potential Kirk Cousins trade supposedly a hot topic at NFL event
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has recently been linked in a potential trade with an NFC foe. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that there were grumblings about a potential deal involving Cousins at the NFL's Scouting Combine. "Apparently, at the scouting combine there was some chatter, there was some noise, among people within the […]
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has recently been linked in a potential trade with an NFC foe.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that there were grumblings about a potential deal involving Cousins at the NFL's Scouting Combine.
"Apparently, at the scouting combine there was some chatter, there was some noise, among people within the broader league structure, not the media, but people in the league about Cousins being traded to the 49ers. That was a hot topic at one point in Indianapolis," Florio said, via Fansided's The Viking Age.
Cousins is in the final year of his contract with the Vikings and carries a $20 million cap hit into the 2023 season. Dealing Cousins wouldn't just clear cap space for Minnesota, but it would restart the team's quarterback clock if it were to receive a player like 49ers QB Trey Lance as part of the trade.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has been a quarterback away from winning at least one Super Bowl over the last few seasons. Cousins would certainly serve as an upgrade over Lance and Brock Purdy, who is recovering from elbow surgery.
San Francisco makes plenty of sense for Cousins if the Vikings do elect to trade him. Weapons like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle are a quarterback's dream. Plus, Shanahan's system caters to quarterbacks like Cousins who are able to stick to a system.
It's important to keep in mind the timing of this report. It comes less than a month before the 2023 NFL Draft in a period many around the league call Lying Season.
Whether this is a smokescreen or not is yet to be determined. That being said, Florio has credibility within the league and wouldn't be pulling this out of thin air.
Sooner or later the Vikings will have to find a longterm answer at he quarterback position. Though Cousins gives Minnesota the best chance to win now, he is set to turn 35 years old this offseason. This is the perfect time for Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to explore a potential trade with the draft right around the corner.
