Kirk Cousins Extension Will Reportedly Wait Until After Draft… Unless Price is Right

This blog feels awfully familiar…

We’ve talked at nauseam, about the purge that is going to eventually hit this Minnesota Vikings roster. So far this offseason though, beyond cryptic social media posts (most recently by Trae Waynes), we haven’t seen it. Everson Griffen is hitting free agency but most signs point to him coming back to the Vikings when all said and done…

So, what gives? Well, we don’t know how things will unfold yet, but it doesn’t look like we are married to the thought of Kirk Cousins, long-term.

From @DanGrazianoESPN on Kirk Cousins’s contract extension status pic.twitter.com/cg9H9YaARW

— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) March 2, 2020

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, the Vikings WANT to extend Kirk Cousins’ contract, in-part to open up cap space and help field a winning roster for 2020…. but they’re in no hurry.. and happy to wait until after the draft… when it won’t help them that much anymore.

The league year starts on March 18. Something will be done with Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph before March 20, when their contracts (and $20M) become guaranteed for 2020. The draft is April 23. Most of the Vikings roster consternation will be settled by then.

This tells me, the Vikings aren’t committed to Kirk Cousins, at market value. Nor should they be. If he wants to sign a cap/team-friendly deal that clears up a bunch of space, then great, let’s get it done today. Spielman can turn around and make the team better during free agency and while deciding on what to do with current contracts…

If Kirk wants his new extension to remain around market value and isn’t going to give us a bunch of financial relief to use right away (his prerogative), then the Vikings will be sure to explore all other options, before renewing this into a longer-term relationship.

That’s the smart thing to do. There are a lot of intriguing QB prospects in this year’s draft and we have other places to save money on this roster. We also need to see if Dalvin Cook demands a new contract. That would throw a wrench into any plans on extending Kirk, too. The cap is about to go up big in 2021 too, with the new CBA. Flexibility is key.

I’m not ready to put a ring on Kirk’s finger when I’m not sure he can put a ring on mine. If Kirk isn’t willing to sign an extension that REALLY benefits this team in the long run, then I make him play out 2020 on his last year.

Prove you can be the big shot, if you aren’t willing to help your own cause financially.

Eric Strack| Minnesota Sports Fan