The Minnesota Vikings may have seen the last of quarterback Kirk Cousins after five years of largely successful football and a dismal 1-4 start to 2023.
On the Wednesday, October 11 episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer’s Benjamin Solak discussed the Vikings and predicted that Minnesota would likely trade Cousins before the NFL’s trade deadline of October 31.
Kirk is in the final year of his contract, and Solak said he would be “honestly shocked” to see him wearing a Vikings jersey in 2024.
“You’re going to see trade-deadline interest in Cousins.
This team needs to inject some youth and usher in a new era.
“.
In his argument that Minnesota would be better served by sticking with backup Sean Mannion for the remainder of the season after dealing Kirk Cousins for a valuable 2024 draft asset, Solak mentioned both the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons as potential landing spots for the quarterback.
In light of this, Solak continued, “I could see them entering the season playing the backup the remainder of the way… and really, really, really trying to sink this thing.
Simmons brought up the idea of a trade with the Jets that includes a draft package and a former No. Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick, might eventually face off against Mannion and Nick Mullens for starting opportunities.
Simmons proposed, “So maybe Minnesota gets Zach Wilson back.”.
Solak responded, “Oh? A little new home, new Zach.”.
“I don’t mind that at all. I have a feeling that the Jets will want to get rid of Zach Wilson because, well, you kind of get rid of yourself of that divisive figure, right?
“.
Due to his contract, Kirk Cousins is a desirable trade chip for potential rivals.
There should be plenty of interest in Cousins if the Vikings decide to trade him at some point in the upcoming three weeks.
This year’s base pay for the quarterback is $10 million, and Solak explained that it will be distributed in the form of in-game checks.
According to Spotrac, the remaining $25 million is a bonus that the Vikings have already given Cousins and will be deducted from Minnesota’s salary cap in 2023 and over the following four seasons as a result of restructures.
Only the prorated portion of Cousins’ $10 million base salary will need to be paid by the Jets, Falcons, or any other team acquiring him in a trade.
If the Vikings trade the quarterback before Sunday’s away game against the Chicago Bears, that works out to a game check of $555,555.55 for each of the next 13 weeks, for a total of just over $7.2 million for the rest of the season.
Kirk is currently a very, very attractive trade candidate overall, according to Solak.
Kirk Cousins is more likely to be traded to the Falcons than to the Jets.
In September 2023, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins completes a pass during an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, Cousins has a trump card in the form of the no-trade clause the Vikings gave him when he signed a contract extension with them through the 2023 season two offseasons ago.
The Jets may be willing to put together a more enticing package for Cousins than the Falcons or another playoff-contending team that sustains an injury between now and the end of October.
Insiders with the Vikings have been adamant all season that Cousins’ personality doesn’t fit the high-pressure, high-profile environment of being the quarterback for a New York-based team.
In addition, the wife of the cousins has relatives in Georgia, where the couple was married and where the wife also attended college.
Late in his career, Cousins has been outspoken about his desire to triumph, and he is known for being a cooperative actor during negotiations with the franchise that employs him.
Cousins is unlikely to rule out all trade possibilities unless Minnesota plans to lose the rest of the season, which may involve keeping injured wide receiver Justin Jefferson sidelined for the remainder of 2023.
Having said that, he is also likely to use the freedom granted to him by his contract to move to a city and sign with a team he thinks will be a good fit for him and his family.
The latter appears to be the better wager in the case of New York and Atlanta.