NFL Rumors: Vikings want to keep Kirk Cousins, but have their limit

The Minnesota Vikings have quite the conundrum to tackle this offseason. What are they going to do at the quarterback position? The Vikings have had Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback since signing him back in 2018. But he is now set to become an unrestricted free agent and will be in high demand from quarterback-needy teams. Even after recovering from a torn Achilles, Cousins is the top player available at his position.

Based on recent reporting, the Vikings would like to keep Cousins. But it appears they have set a limit in their potential pursuit of Cousins.

According to TheMMQB's Albert Breer, the Vikings "really like" Cousins but are unwilling to give him a fully guaranteed contract, like the previous regime did.

"The current Minnesota brass, now going into its third season, really likes Cousins, but it’s also been made clear that they’re not going to go contractually where the previous regime did twice, and give Cousins a fully guaranteed deal," writes Breer. "Absent that, Cousins is now in position to hit the market like he did six years ago, this time older and, of course, more injured."

Vikings unwilling to give Kirk Cousins a fully guaranteed contract

That does make sense, as Breer brings up, Cousins is an older quarterback coming off a serious leg injury. A fully guaranteed deal would be bold, to say the least.

Minnesota's previous regime, led then by general manager Rick Spielman, signed Cousins away from Washington on a three-year, $84 million contract that was fully guaranteed. At the time, Cousins was about to enter his age 30 season. 2024 will be Cousins' age 36 season.

When looking at the quarterback market overall, there aren't many feasible options. Teams in the top three of the 2024 NFL Draft will likely select USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, and LSU's Jayden Daniels. The trading block? The only top-tier option is Justin Fields, if the Bears are willing to move on and keep the No. 1 pick to select a quarterback. As for free agents, Baker Mayfield is likely to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That leaves Cousins as the undisputed top option.

Before his Achilles injury in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, Cousins threw for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 69.5 percent of his passes.

The NFL league year is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 13. As we approach that date and time, we should get a better idea of whether the Vikings and Cousins will agree to terms on a new deal, or if the team will look elsewhere to address the position. But when it comes to a deal with Cousins, they are unwilling to make it fully guaranteed.