Vikings: Is Mike Zimmer giving Kirk Cousins the Josh Rosen treatment?

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback has been the subject of trade rumors, but Mike Zimmer is standing by him…for now. 

As the quarterback carousel of the 2021 NFL offseason rolls on, a new name has been added to the mix among the elite. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins now seems to be on the market should a team offer the right price.

Cousins, who signed a two-year extension with Minnesota for $66 million following their NFC Wild Card win over New Orleans last season, has been a hot name in the past several days. After another mixed season in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the franchise could be headed in a different direction.

However, that’s not what Vikings’ coach Mike Zimmer believes entering the start of the official offseason. Then again, could this be a runaround to drag up the price?

“Kirk’s our guy,” Zimmer said on Friday to NFL Network’s Good Morning Football show. “You know, he had a terrific year this year. We were fourth in the league on offense. We have to get better on defense — we had a lot of injuries and young guys — that’s my job to get it fixed.”

Is Cousins still the right guy?

Cousins, 32, has proven to be a starting-caliber quarterback since arriving in the NFL back in 2012. Since signing his initial three-year, $84 million deal, Cousins has gone 25-21-1 as the team’s starter. The Vikings also have one made the postseason once.

Following the trade of former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, rumors began to circle on if the Vikings would try to follow suit. Detroit sent the 33-year-old to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a third-round selection this year.

The San Francisco 49ers, who were also involved in the Stafford trade, seem to be interested in Cousins. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan played a vital role in the early development of Cousins during their time together in Washington. The question is, what would it cost to acquire his services?

Minnesota’s offense wasn’t the problem last season for the 7-9 Vikings. The team finished top 10 in total yards and rushing behind the likes of running back Dalvin Cook. Meanwhile, Cousins built a quality rapport with rookie sensation Justin Jefferson as the long-term replacement for Stefon Diggs.

However, of all the offensive production, Cousins certainly was the weakest link.

There’s no denying there are worse options out there for Minnesota. For now, expect him to be the starting under center at US Bank Stadium in 2021.