The Vikings underwent a ton of roster turnover this offseason. Talented veterans like Patrick Peterson, Za'Darius Smith, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook were shown the door and replaced by younger options. 

For a Vikings' team that hasn't won a playoff game since 2019, even more change could be coming after the 2023 NFL season. 2023 will be a contract year for veteran QB Kirk Cousins, and there doesn't appear to be a solid option on the roster behind him. 

In my opinion, not many players will be facing more pressure to perform than Cousins this season. 

Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports agrees with my assertion. Kerr recently listed the five NFC QBs under the most pressure to perform, and Cousins ranked third. 

Sooner or later, Cousins is going to have to win more than one playoff game for the Vikings. Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and Minnesota has $28.5 million in salary cap savings next offseason to move on from him.

Cousins is 35 years old and has just one playoff win in his 11-year career. He's never been to a conference championship game despite completing 67.8% of his passes in Minnesota, throwing for 153 touchdown passes to just 50 interceptions and having a passer rating of 100.9. 

While I agree with Kerr that Cousins is under immense pressure, I disagree with the reasoning. The days of hoping for Cousins to go on a playoff run with the Vikings are behind us at this point. The 2023 Vikings will likely be the least-talented team that Cousins has had in Minnesota, so it's a pipe dream to think this will suddenly be the team that puts it all together. 

Instead, Cousins is facing pressure due to 2023 being a contract year. Cousins has faced so much criticism over the years that he has entered back into underappreciated territory. Cousins has thrown for 4,000+ yards in four of his five Vikings' seasons, and if he throws for 25 TDs in 2023, will be just the fifth player in NFL history to reach the mark in nine consecutive seasons. 

Assuming Cousins reaches the 4,000-yard, 25+ TD mark again, he should be in line for a massive payday after the season. However, if the veteran QB struggles, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he re-signs with the Vikings. 

Overall, Cousins is under pressure but not for the reason people think. The veteran QB is likely looking for one more big payday, which could easily happen with a typical performance in 2023. 

Featured image via © Matt Krohn | 2022 Dec 24