Signing Kirk Cousins would give the Minnesota Vikings something no other quarterback will be willing to
The Atlanta Falcons’ decision to sign Kirk Cousins two years ago could benefit the Minnesota Vikings.
When the Minnesota Vikings chose to move on from Kirk Cousins, it was the smart decision. They added Sam Darnold in free agency and J.J. McCarthy at 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. It went well in 2024, but McCarthy struggled enough both on and off the field that the Vikings have to look seriously at bringing in another quarterback.
There are a lot of options that head coach Kevin O’Connell can look toward as he focuses on bringing in competition for McCarthy.
“I absolutely want a competitive situation,” said O’Connell. “Obviously, J.J. [McCarthy] is going to be a major, major emphasis for our staff and our team and me personally, and we’ll figure out what that looks like as we navigate the early part of this offseason when it comes to managing the roster.
“I think ultimately, we’ve got to decide how to not only continue J.J.’s progression, allow him to continue to ascend as a young player, 22-years-old with 10 starts, but at the same time, like I said, I think the competition in that room will only enhance our entire team.”
Kirk Cousins can give Vikings something nobody else will
There will be a lot of options available for the Vikings to pursue. They can go big game hunting and try to get someone like Kyler Murray or Joe Burrow, but will likely go the free agency route with a player like Malik Willis or Jimmy Garoppolo.
The one wild card in this discussion is the impending release of Kirk Cousins from the Atlanta Falcons. They restructured his contract, which secured the fact he would be released, as his entire $67.9 million base salary will be guaranteed if he is on the roster on March 13, which is the third day of the 2026 NFL league year.
He is already guaranteed $10 million this season by the Falcons from his original four-year, $180 million contract, and that is where the benefits could happen with the Vikings.
Kirk Cousins can give them a Russell Wilson type benefit
With the guarantees that Cousins is set to get from the Falcons, there is likely offset language in the contract similar to what Russell Wilson had when he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2024 season. Wilson signed for the league minimum, and the Denver Broncos paid the rest of his salary.
This could be where the Vikings can take advantage. If nobody is willing to offer Cousins more than the $10 million he is already guaranteed, the Vikings can sign him to the league minimum and give the quarterback room a much-needed boost.
Knowing what we know about Cousins and his contracts, he is likely going to try and get a bigger contract, which is certainly possible in this free agency class. However, given his age and recent play, that feels less likely to happen. That’s where O’Connell and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski can hard-press him to return to Minnesota, mentor McCarthy, and potentially get some serious playing time.
It’s far from a perfect solution, but it makes financial and football sense.
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