Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is someone that many people are going to be keeping an eye on during the 2023 season. Heading into his age-35 season, his future with the franchise is up in the air.
Kirk Cousins is in the final year of his contract, which could lead to the team opting to move on in 2024. However, without a clear-cut replacement currently on the roster, an extension, even a short one, could make sense for the Vikings.
Minnesota is coming off their second most successful season in franchise history, as their 13 wins have only been surpassed once; in 1998 by the 15-1 squad. But, a sour taste was left in everyone’s mouths when Kirk Cousins and the Vikings were ousted from the playoffs during Super Wild Card Weekend, at home nonetheless, by Daniel Jones and the New York Giants.
While Kirk Cousins is still playing at a high level, a changing of the guard could be on the horizon. Minnesota already moved on from two respected, productive veterans this offseason in wide receiver Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook; could their starting quarterback be next?
If 2023 marks the end of Kirk Cousins’s tenure with the Vikings, he won’t have trouble finding any work as a free agent. According to JPA Football on Twitter, there are already two teams lining up to make a run at him in free agency; the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
It is certainly peculiar seeing the 49ers on that list. They have two quarterbacks on rookie contracts, Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, that seem more than capable of holding down the starting quarterback spot. A strong argument could be made that Kirk Cousins wouldn’t be an upgrade on either of them.
The Rams, however, would make some sense. Matthew Stafford is entrenched as the starter for at least one more season but retirement questions swirled around him this offseason. If he were to move on and Sean McVay wanted an experienced veteran to keep them competitive, then Kirk Cousins would fit the bill.
Or course, all of this is for naught should the Vikings opt to keep Kirk Cousins around beyond the 2023 season. Unless his production falls off a cliff, returning on a one or two-year deal until a replacement is found would make sense for both sides.
