NFL
Exclusive: Kirk Cousins Reunion with Vikings Gathering Momentum Amid QB Uncertainty
After a tumultuous tenure with Atlanta, Kirk Cousins may be headed back to the Vikings as they seek real quarterback competition. Cousins has an $80M poison pill in his contract, and is poised to explore other options. The Vikings are eager for change as they struggle to develop former first-round pick JJ McCarthy. Despite interest from other teams, a reunion with Minnesota seems likely due to Cousins' fit and affection for the city.
Indianapolis Colts v Minnesota Vikings by Adam Bettcher | Getty Images
The NFL moves in mysterious ways, and just two years after Kirk Cousins left Minnesota for a hefty contract in Atlanta.
There is now a growing sentiment among NFL executives in the market for quarterbacks that Cousins could very well end up back with the Vikings.
Cousins went to the playoffs in Minnesota with coach Kevin O’Connell, it’s well known around the NFL how well those two worked together and it’s no secret in scouting circles that the Vikings are already looking for real quarterback competition with former first-round pick JJ McCarthy struggling mightily in many aspects, with injuries, consistency, accuracy and decision-making, through two NFL season.
And while there has been some conjecture about Cousins’s status, team sources who have reviewed his reworked contract said there is an $80M poison pill that kicks in on March 13 if Cousins is still on Atlanta’s roster.
He is absolutely going to be able to explore other options.
Vikings Looking For Change?
McCarthy has proven to be difficult to be develop, according to multiple league sources, with his erratic play playing no small role in the franchise recently moving on from its general manager.
“They can say what they want publicly, but they have some serious questions about McCarthy,” said one NFL general manager who is exploring myriad quarterback options.
“Look, they’re signing somebody else to push him. And it’s not just going to be some stiff on a vet-minimum contract.”
Cousins finally began to play better football late last season after an Achilles injury, and a poor fit in Atlanta’s offense, led to basically two lost seasons with the Falcons. In a very weak free-agent class, he stands out as a legit stop-gap option.
“He’s going to get a decent contract, don’t worry about that,” a personnel executive on another quarterback-hungry team.
If the 49ers were to trade back-up quarterback Mac Jones, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan drafted Cousins in Washington and has always been an admirer of his.
“But I’m not sure how the timing of that would work out,” as a second GM put it. “And I don’t think Jones is going anywhere.”
That GM was fairly adamant about a Cousins reunion with Minnesota, though there will clearly be other interested parties.
Cousins and his family loved being in Minnesota, he fits the system, they are loaded with skill player talent on the roster. It just may be too good a fit for the team or player to neglect.
In other news, quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Malik Willis are also viewed by league insiders as potential movers this offseason.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.