The Minnesota Vikings have a major decision to make on quarterback Kirk Cousins in the coming weeks, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks they may be fumbling the bag.
During an appearance on KFAN with Paul Allen, Florio said that the Vikings may be mishandling Cousins’ upcoming free agency and that they may end up losing him as a result.
“They don’t want to throw a dart in the dark, they want to see what the market will bear, and then they can say, ‘Alright, we’ll pay you that,’” Florio said. “If that is the approach, that’s a mistake.”
Minnesota has maintained that it wants to keep Cousins, but not at the expense of its long-term financial flexibility. Cousins himself wants to stay with the Vikings, but he also wants to ensure he gets paid close to what he thinks he is worth.
“Once someone else puts big dollars on the table, Kirk may say, ‘It’s too late. You had your chance. You let me consider what it would be like to go elsewhere. You low-balled me, or you no-balled me,'” added Florio. “Basically, why isn’t the deal already done? Why didn’t they get it done when they knew the surgery on his torn Achilles tendon was a success? The longer you wait the more expensive it gets.”
Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8 and will be 36 years old at the start of next season, so you can understand why there may be some trepidation on Minnesota’s part when it comes to handing the veteran a long-term deal.
When Cousins was on the field in 2023, he was brilliant, throwing for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 69.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 103.8.
Cousins initially signed with the Vikings back in 2018 and has been under center for the club ever since, making three Pro Bowl appearances.
If Minnesota continues to delay things with Kirk Cousins, another team may come and steal him away. And you know what? He may turn that particular team into a legitimate contender.
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