Will the Minnesota Vikings bring back Kirk Cousins?
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, Minnesota Vikings QB, Kirk Cousins is levels above the rest when it comes to available quarterbacks on the market this off-season.
While Barnwell has no signal callers in the ‘Franchise Players’ tier, one man sits alone in the ‘Pro Bowl Caliber Starters’ rankings…Kirk Cousins.
“Cousins is unquestionably the best quarterback on the market, though he’s recovering from his first serious injury after he tore his right Achilles in late October. Before the injury, Cousins’ 63.6 QBR was the ninth-best mark in the league. His 11.2% off-target rate ranked No. 1 over the first half of the season, and he did it without Justin Jefferson for a chunk of that time.
The last time Cousins was a free agent, he parlayed his leverage into a three-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $84 million. After two seasons, he parlayed that contract and Minnesota’s need for cap relief into two additional deals. In all, he earned $185 million over his six years with the Vikings for an average of just under $31 million per season.
Any team hoping to win over the next three years that isn’t in position to land one of the top starters in the 2024 draft should be trying to pursue Cousins. That’s a group that includes the Broncos, Buccaneers, Falcons, Raiders, Steelers and Titans, with the Dolphins and Seahawks as outside candidates if they move on from their current starters. Some of those teams will opt for longer shots in the draft, but if Cousins’ recovery is on track, he should be able to get one more significant deal as a 35-year-old free agent.”
Just to show how much Kirk Cousins is seemingly above the rest of the group, Barnwell also doesn’t list a single player in the ‘Capable Starters’ tier.
Kirk Cousins’ Impressive 2023 Season
Prior to tearing his achilles in the Minnesota Vikings’ week eight win over the Green Bay Packers, Kirk Cousins was quietly in the MVP conversation. Cousins threw for 2,331 yards to go along with 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions in less than eight full games.
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