Of the contract options the Minnesota Vikings have with quarterback Kirk Cousins, a short-term extension doesn’t appear to be the most desirable. That’s according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“I would not anticipate that there’s another one-year extension here. Either the Vikings and Kirk Cousins do a long-term extension that locks him up as their franchise quarterback, or potentially they keep their options open and let Cousins play out this existing deal,” says Pelissero.
“Remember, he was franchise tagged twice by Washington. So for the Vikings to use a third tag on Cousins after the 2023 season, it would be an astronomical number over $50 million. Probably unlikely, so this is not just about charting the course for 2023, it’s about the big picture of the Vikings quarterback situation as they figure out what to do contractually.”
A long-term deal with Cousins would afford the Vikings an opportunity to draft a quarterback this year or next year and develop the rookie under Cousins.
The no-extension option is not without pitfalls. Cousins is scheduled to have the sixth highest cap hit in the NFL next season and the only way to significantly lower that number is an extension.
Another nugget Pelissero snuck into his report about Cousins was him saying the Vikings would “ideally” like to work out an extension with edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who is likely going to need a significant raise to keep up with the highest-paid pass rushers in the NFL.
