Some words from Kirk Cousins on the new deal:
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to play for Kevin and could not be more excited about the direction of our team. As soon as we return to TCO Performance Center next month, we will begin working toward our collective goal of bringing a championship to Vikings fans.”
And from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah:
“Kirk was one of the first players I called when I joined the Vikings and it was immediately clear how much he cares about this organization and about winning. High level quarterback play is a prerequisite to building a championship team and we are confident Kirk will continue along that path.”
Cousins was scheduled to enter the 2022 season with a $45 million cap hit. That wasn’t going to work. At all. That giant cap hit was a big reason for the Vikings being about $15 million over the NFL’s $208.2 million salary cap for 2022. The first task in front of the team’s new decision-makers was fixing that situation. Cousins’ new deal brings the Vikings to about $1 million over the salary cap. Over the Cap currently has the Vikings at $755,866 over. Contract restructures of Danielle Hunter, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and possibly others should have the team as modest players in free agency. The legal tampering period of which kicks off today at noon ET.
Some of the Cousins contract particulars:
-one new year, $35 million in new money
-$70 million total, all fully guaranteed, for ‘22 and ‘23
-$40 million coming this year, $30 million next year
-$25 million signing bonus
-two voidable years (‘24 and ‘25)
-significant cap relief this year ($13.75 million)
Cap hits:
2022: $31.25 million
2023: $36.25 million
2024: $6.25 million
2025: $6.25 million
Perhaps it’s due to the steep $45 million cap hit that Cousins carried, $31.25 and $36.25 million feels about right for a high-level starting quarterback. Despite having a legion of critics, Cousins is a high-level quarterback. I’m excited to see him play in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. I’m excited to see the entire Vikings offense with these new coaches and in this proven system. Cousins’ best years in Minnesota will be the next two years. I’m sure of it. He has all that he needs for tremendous success. Hopefully, it results in wins. A lot of wins.
This deal solidifies Cousins’ stay in Minnesota for the next years. It also allows for an easier O’Connell-led transition to a hopefully young, drafted quarterback. He inherits Kellen Mond but can draft a quarterback of his choosing this year or next. The Vikings best chance for success this year was going to be with Cousins. His cap hits over the next two years aren’t crippling. Certainly not as crippling as that $45 million number. Two years is a short-term commitment. Now, it’s up to the new decision-makers to draft well and add wisely in free agency. Everything is in place for immediate success without jeopardizing building a stronger future.
An added benefit to this one-year extension. Fans and media can stop reading between the lines every single time Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell speak of their quarterback. Sometimes people are saying exactly what they are saying.
For most of the past decade, Kirk Cousins and agent Mike McCartney have done quite well for themselves:
2016: $19.9 million, fully guaranteed
2017: $23.9 million, fully guaranteed
2018: $26 million, fully guaranteed
2019: $28 million, fully guaranteed
2020: $40 million, fully guaranteed
2021: $21 million, fully guaranteed
2022: $30 million, fully guaranteed
2023: $40 million, fully guaranteed
Total: $228.8 million, fully guaranteed.
Over the years, a lot has been made of Cousins and McCartney’s ability to work the system in their favor. There’ll always be a market for a talented quarterback. The thing that they’ve done that’s different from other quarterbacks and agents is focus on short-term deals. They are never locked in a deal for more than a couple seasons. It’s an added boost that Cousins has stayed remarkably healthy. He’s put up a lot of terrific numbers but his greatest number might be games played. He’s always in the lineup. Anyway, there should be a class in sports business programs on the Cousins-McCartney model of quarterbacking financial success.
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