Kirk Cousins Wants to Retire a Viking, But Knows He Has to Earn That Opportunity
NFL offseasons are always full of rumors about potential quarterback movement. This one, more than any other in recent memory, actually lived up to the hype.
Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Deshaun Watson to the Browns. Matt Ryan to the Colts. That's a combined 16 Pro Bowls on the move, not to mention lesser starting QBs like Carson Wentz, Mitchell Trubisky, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, and Drew Lock changing teams.
Then there's Kirk Cousins, who quietly signed a one-year, $35 million extension with the Vikings that keeps him in Minnesota for the next two seasons. For the second straight offseason, Cousins' name came up frequently in trade rumors and his future was the source of constant debate among Vikings fans. But new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed confidence in Cousins from the get-go, then backed that up by signing him to the short-term extension.
Cousins described the new deal as a win-win.
"I think the short answer is I want to be a Minnesota Viking," he said on Monday, the first day of the team's 2022 offseason program. "I wanted to help create some cap space so that we could put together the roster that you do feel really good about. I think it was just trying to always find win-wins, and I think it was a way to create a win-win. Hopefully that leads to a lot of wins this fall."
Despite all of the rumors, Cousins always wanted to stick around with the Vikings. He hopes to spend the rest of his career in Minnesota. But he also knows that his future past 2023 isn't guaranteed, and that he'll have to play well and win more games than he has if he's going to have the opportunity to be a Viking for many more years.
"My mindset was really to be a Viking," he said. "I would like to retire as a Viking, and so I would like to play my way into that, if you will, I know I gotta to earn the right to do that. But if I could draw it up, it would be play well enough that you never have to play or wear another jersey anywhere else. So I'm going to work really hard to try to make that possible."
Cousins has a 33-29-1 record and one playoff appearance in four seasons with the Vikings. He's eclipsed 4,200 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in three of the four seasons, but had his most efficient, winningest season on lower volume in 2019. The Vikings have cycled through different offensive coordinators every year since Cousins has been in Minnesota, and they've had issues with interior pass protection, defense, and special teams during his run at QB.
Heading into 2022, the excuses appear to be drying up. The Vikings have an offensive-minded head coach in O'Connell, who has worked with Cousins in the past. They've got a defense with a new, experienced coordinator in Ed Donatell and several big-ticket free agent additions. There are a few new faces ready to compete for the starting job at right guard.
If Cousins plays at a high level and leads the Vikings deep into the postseason, he has a chance to remain their quarterback for a long time and eventually get his wish of retiring without playing for another team. But if the Vikings continue to hover around .500, Adofo-Mensah will almost certainly look to make a change at the game's most important position in 2024.
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