Kirk Cousins is about to enter what could be his final year with the Vikings. The veteran quarterback is in the final year of his deal and has yet to ink an extension that would keep him in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. The two sides reportedly had some conversations about a possible extension this offseason, but nothing has come to fruition. And it doesn't sound like anything is going to come across the wire anytime soon.
Cousins told reporters during the final day of mandatory minicamp that no recent talks have occurred and he doesn't expect to go back to the negotiating table until next offseason.
"I think we'll probably talk about the contract next March," Cousins said. "Until then, [we'll] just focus on this season and the job to do right now."
Cousins first signed with the Vikings in 2018, agreeing to a first-of-its-kind contract that was a three-year, $84 million deal fully guaranteed. At the time, that was the first fully guaranteed contract in NFL history and also made Cousins the highest-paid player in league history. He agreed to a two-year, $66 million extension in 2020 and then a one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed extension last offseason that is set to expire after the 2023 campaign.
It's worth noting that Cousins' most recent extension was negotiated with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was hired in 2022, so he does have a prior relationship with the franchise's newest decision-maker. When asked following the 2023 NFL Draft why the team had yet to ink Cousins to an extension, Adofo-Mensah said, "Sometimes you come to a place where you decide, 'hey, let's talk later. This is a solution for now.' That's all that's happened."
Earlier this offseason, Cousins also reiterated that he wants to remain with the Vikings for the rest of his career, calling it a "no-brainer."
While Minnesota did draft BYU quarterback Jaren Hall in the fifth round of the draft this offseason, there is no clear successor to Cousins already on the roster that would serve as a roadblock to a possible return in 2024 despite the lack of a deal at the moment.
The Vikings are 46-33-1 in the regular season under Cousins and the quarterback is coming off a 2022 season where he threw 4,547 yards, which is a high for his five-year tenure in Minnesota. However, Cousins is 1-2 in the playoffs with the franchise, including a first-round exit last year at the hands of the New York Giants. If Cousins can help lead Minnesota to a deeper playoff run in 2023, it should go a long way in the team pushing to keep him beyond next year.
