After six years, the Kirk Cousins era is over in Minnesota, with the former Vikings quarterback agreeing Monday to sign with the Atlanta Falcons. It's a splashy development for both franchises, but it surely stings more in the Midwest, where one fan base is losing a borderline top-10 signal-caller. Or does it? With Cousins out the door, how should Vikings faithful really feel about the changing of the guard? Appalled? Relieved? Exhausted? Hopeful?
Much like Cousins' polarizing career in purple, his departure likely won't generate a consensus opinion. Because, in truth, there are probably an equal amount of pros and cons regarding his relocation to Atlanta.
One thing Vikings fans shouldn't be is surprised. While both Cousins and the team repeatedly expressed interest in sticking together, their actions told a different story. It's rare when such a proven quarterback is permitted to reach free agency, but Minnesota declined to extend Cousins' contract prior to the 2023 season, then all but literally asked the rest of the NFL to bid for his services this offseason. Cousins, meanwhile, has a near-unmatched track record of maximizing his market, famously securing tens of millions in guaranteed money from Washington before his rich team-up with Minnesota. The Falcons always stood out as a logical destination, and the minute Cousins could officially solicit their interest, the Vikings became underdogs in the race to lock him up.
Now the deed has been done, and it's time for the Vikings to reckon with the split. Here's what they'll be weighing:
The pros of Cousins' exit
Let's start with the clearest reality: You don't necessarily need an elite quarterback to contend for titles, but it sure helps. And six years into his tenure, Cousins had proven more solid than special, offering steady numbers and respected leadership without much in the way of postseason results; he leaves Minnesota having won just a single playoff game. On top of that, Cousins is going on 36, coming off a serious Achilles injury and will cost the Falcons a reported $45 million per year -- the eighth-most of any quarterback.
Even before Cousins' hot start to 2023, it would've been reasonable for Minnesota to begin searching for a long-term successor. In many ways, Cousins and the Vikings were often mirrors of each other -- never bad enough to warrant a total reset, never good enough to actually vie for a Super Bowl. Now, after their anticlimactic breakup, the Vikings don't necessarily have to straddle the middle ground, trying to achieve the impossible task of both supporting a capable veteran and aiming for a higher-upside future. They can simply move on for good, finally setting their sights on identifying and acquiring a dynamic youngster.
When the Vikings first signed Cousins back in 2018, the lucrative investment was sold as a get-over-the-hump gamble. We have a contender, management told itself; we are literally a quarterback away. Six years later, Cousins may be more locally beloved for his old-school persona, even more refined as an efficient pocket passer. But he and the Vikings were not knocking on the door of the Super Bowl. And oftentimes in the NFL it takes a pivot from familiarity to jumpstart a true path to greatness. The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to draft Patrick Mahomes with a quality quarterback already in place. The San Francisco 49ers promoted Brock Purdy even after investing a wealth of resources into his peers. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts not long after committing big money to his predecessor. None of those teams stumbled upon superior quarterbacks, but they did make uncomfortable decisions to find them. Finally, with Cousins' Vikings career wrapped up, Minnesota might forge its own superior path forward.
The cons of Cousins' exit
For all the criticism of Cousins' ceiling -- the lack of a defining postseason run, the lack of off-script athleticism, the penchant for untimely turnovers -- there's no denying the veteran provided Minnesota with an under-center stability not seen since the onset of the Daunte Culpepper era in the early 2000s. Prior to 2023, he was remarkably durable, appearing in 81 of a possible 83 games. More than that, he was consistently above-average in aerial production, thrice topping 30 touchdown passes and ranking sixth among all quarterbacks in total passer rating (101.2) during his six-year Vikings career.
He also registered as something of a perfect fit for current coach Kevin O'Connell's offensive system, excelling as an efficient play-action point guard with an eye for the big play. There's a reason Justin Jefferson, the franchise's greatest play-maker since Hall of Famer Randy Moss, advocated for Cousins' return. "Dad" energy or not, the quarterback was trustworthy. And that's the thing with replacing him: Regardless of which route the Vikings take to fill his void in 2024, odds are the replacement won't match Cousins' reliability up to this point. The grass isn't always greener, as they say, and the shoddy hit rate of even first-round quarterback draft picks backs that up.
Barring a blockbuster trade that gives the Vikings a clean shot at one of this year's top three or four prospects, or a lower-risk swap for a young veteran like Justin Fields, Minnesota is about to return to the state of quarterback purgatory that plagues every franchise in between long-term starters. It's a state that often involves multiple dart throws at the position -- a cheap signing here, a draft pick there, and lots of patience from a fan base craving the next big thing. In a perfect world, the Vikings would've retained Cousins while also investing in an heir apparent. But this, as you can see, is not a perfect world.
The verdict for Vikings fans
Again, this isn't an easy call. It's never fun to say goodbye to competence -- let alone a likable leader -- at the game's most important position. Kirk Cousins had really settled in as something of a fan favorite in recent years, even if he'd yet to fully live up to the promises of his arrival. And it'll be far easier said than done for the Vikings and forward-thinking general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to quickly justify the divorce. Especially because Cousins should be primed for a playoff bid with the ascending Falcons.
All that said, the evolution of the quarterback position combined with Cousins' cost and trajectory suggest the Vikings aren't wrong to be wading into these waters in 2024. It may take a year or three to find the right answer. But the team was going to have to look beyond Cousins sooner rather than later. Now they just have to do it even sooner than some anticipated. Adofo-Mensh and O'Connell have proven to be a winning pairing in the early stages of their careers atop the Vikings. Now they'll get a chance to put their own seal at this critical position, and provide more than just short-sighted hopes to a fan base overdue for glory.
