Welcome to Part 7 of our Future of the Vikings series. For this edition we look at the quarterbacks. In previous years Cousins was on the field for nearly every game but in 2023 we saw half the season filled by three different QBs. But that’s not the biggest story of the position. Let’s dive in…
Kirk Cousins
The Vikings’ long-time starting quarterback opened up the season with a strong stretch despite a lot of things working against him. Through eight weeks he was the sixth highest graded passer by PFF, ranked second in total yards and third in passer rating. In that time Cousins suffered more drops from his receivers than any other QB and the Vikings led the league in fumbles. Just as Cousins led the Vikings back to .500 after a calamity-laden start to the season, he tore his Achilles at Lambeau Field, bringing his season to an end.
Prior to 2023 the Vikings and Cousins discussed a contract extension but ultimately never found common ground, leaving him to hit free agency if the two sides do not come to an agreement this time around. The wrinkle in his situation is that the Vikings restructured his deal to hold a $28 million dead cap hit in 2024 if he leaves, meaning that the two sides would need to ink an extension before the official start of free agency on March 13. If they do agree to a deal before then, the dead cap hit can be spread out over several years, though it does not disappear.