Vikings reportedly set to offer Kirk Cousins $91 million
By Jon Benne
Kirk Cousins is the most coveted free agent quarterback on the market, set to earn a huge payday in free agency.
The Minnesota Vikings are considered one of the top suitors for Cousins, and recent reports suggest that they’re ready to open up the wallet. Former tight end Chris Cooley relayed a tip from an agent, who said that the Vikings are preparing an offer of three years, $91 million for Cousins.
That’s an average of just over $30 million per year, with the $91 million fully guaranteed. That will obviously blow away the previous record for guaranteed money, which currently belongs to Matthew Stafford ($60.5 million).
It’s unknown how reliable this report is, but $30 million per year is around the ballpark of what Cousins is expected to get, so it’s not terribly surprising that the Vikings preparing such an offer. The Vikings have been strongly linked to Cousins for a while now. They’re not expected to keep any of Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater, or Sam Bradford, and are looking for a quarterback upgrade as they try to build on their run to the NFC Championship Game.
Cousins is hitting the open market after playing on the franchise tag for two straight years with Washington. A solidly above-average passer at 29 years old, quarterbacks of his caliber and age almost never reach free agency. This is a big reason for the bidding war going on. The Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals are also rumored to be pursuing Cousins.
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Denver is probably the second favorite behind Minnesota, while the Jets have tons of cap space. Cousins is a natural fit for all three teams. The Cardinals are a distant contender with their limited space.
With the new league year right around the corner, look for these kind of reports to keep cropping up. Cousins will likely be the highest-paid free agent this year, but it’s just a matter of which team is willing to outbid the others.