The Minnesota Vikings have a tough decision to make when it comes to Kirk Cousins’ future. His play is good enough to validate a decision to keep him. But the Vikings are $12 million over the salary cap heading into the offseason.
If the Vikings want to be “super competitive” next season, they’ll need a way to make improvements. Cousins’ $45 million cap hit is a major obstacle to overcome and with the current market for quarterbacks, this could be the perfect time to trade him.
So where could Cousins land?
POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS
The Vikings’ first objective should be to find a team that can win now and has salary cap space. While most teams will prefer to go after Aaron Rodgers, only one team is going to get him. The others would turn their eyes to Cousins.
The first team that should be mentioned is the Denver Broncos. The Broncos enter the offseason with $40 million in cap space and seem to be a quarterback away from being a contender. By hiring Nathaniel Hackett, the Broncos have indicated that Rodgers is their top priority. But general manager George Payton’s previous ties to Cousins shouldn’t be dismissed.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should also be interested. The Steelers went 9-7-1 despite having the husk of Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and head into the offseason with $32 million in cap space. Having a functional quarterback should push them over the top in a division that features Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
The other team to watch is the Carolina Panthers. The first two years of the Matt Rhule era haven’t gone well, and at this point, he’ll do anything to save his job. That could create a scenario where the Vikings could jack up the price on Cousins and see if the Panthers bite. With $18 million in cap space, the Panthers may require Minnesota to retain some salary.
LESS POSSIBLE BUT INTERESTING
This tier features teams that could be interested in upgrading at quarterback but face several obstacles to acquiring Cousins.
The Cleveland Browns are in this tier because of Cousins’ ties to Kevin Stefanski. Cousins had the best year of his career when Stefanski was the Vikings offensive coordinator, and a reported rift with Baker Mayfield could open the door for a deal. The Browns have $28 million in cap space but would preferably like to take Mayfield’s $18 million salary off the books. That could lead to a swap that would net the Vikings an extra first-round pick.
The New Orleans Saints are also looking to move on from the Drew Brees era while also paying for him to be in the broadcast booth. Sean Payton took the first flight out of New Orleans after seeing the Saints were $76 million over the salary cap, and their new coach will have to find something better than Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian.
The Philadelphia Eagles could also be interested, but also have a functional solution in Jalen Hurts. If the Eagles feel like Cousins would be enough to push them out of the No. 7 seed, they could make a deal. Otherwise, they could just wait for a stronger draft class in 2023.
TRADES YOU WOULD MAKE ON MADDEN
The Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks could be interested in Cousins, but it would take a blockbuster to get a deal done.
A trade with the Texans is enticing because it would likely involve Deshaun Watson. But the Vikings wouldn’t be attracted to a deal knowing they would have to give up multiple first-round picks for a player with 22 civil cases that need to be resolved.
It’s also appealing to think of Russell Wilson launching moon balls to Justin Jefferson, but it seems unlikely. The Seahawks would probably like to trade Wilson out of the conference, and it would require a Watson-level of picks to acquire a 33-year-old quarterback.
A deal involving the Indianapolis Colts is possible if they want to move on from Carson Wentz. But at their core, both Wentz and Cousins are highly-paid quarterbacks who don’t possess the intangibles to be a true franchise QB.
Finally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a sunny destination for Cousins. But the Buccaneers would likely be making a panic move that could set their franchise back. The supporting cast would be there in Tampa Bay, but it just doesn’t seem to make sense.
