Is it possible for the Vikings to move on from Kirk Cousins in 2021?

The Minnesota Vikings have attached themselves to Kirk Cousins, but is it possible for them to move on in 2021?

A dismal first half in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons (three interceptions), brought up the question of who the Minnesota Vikings had as Kirk Cousins’ backup. He has acknowledged that 10 interceptions and a 1-5 start is not ideal, and he won’t be long for the field if he doesn’t improve.

The Vikings are on a bye this week, so there’s an opportunity to step back, evaluate (become a seller as the trade deadline approaches?) and perhaps even look toward a resurgence in 2021.

Entering the final year of his original three-year, $84 million deal, if only in the name of creating some much-needed cap space for 2020, Cousins was extended for two more years. The new deal was worth $66 million, and guaranteed him $61 million at signing over the refreshed three years.

Could the Vikings move on from Kirk Cousins in 2021?

The short answer to the above question is no. The Vikings decided to run it back this year, and extensions for Zimmer and Spielman only added to the idea of continuity. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has consistently referred to this year as a scholarship year for the Vikings, as the COVID-19 pandemic can be leaned on as a reason to maintain status quo or punt on 2020, and it’s hard to argue with him.

As cited by Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Cousins’ extension in March gave him a $10 million raise this year and guaranteed him $21 million in 2021. On the third day of the 2021 league year, let’s say March 20 right now, his $35 million base salary for 2022 becomes fully guaranteed.

If the Vikings cut Cousins before June 1 next year, they’d take on a $41 million dead money hit. A post-June 1 cut would leave $31 million in dead money for 2021, and allow the Vikings to kick $10 million in dead money to 2022.

A trade would not be as punitive. Cousins’ $21 million guarantee (low-end veteran starter money) would move to the acquiring team, leaving behind $20 million in dead money for the Vikings. That $35 million for 2022 would surely be an issue for said potential acquiring team though, barring a contract restructure to pave the way for a deal.

It won’t be easy for the Vikings to move on from Cousins in 2021. The cap/dead money implications and the third day of the league year, when his 2022 salary becomes fully guaranteed, are the detrimental headlines. There’s a chance of finding a team that will trade for him, but that would be a narrow market with a lot of moving parts on those ends.