MN Vikings Open to Paying Down Kirk Cousins’ Salary in a Trade?

It’s here. NFL Draft week 2025 is finally upon us. Three days from today, commissioner Roger Goodell will walk to the podium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and announce that the Tennessee Titans are “on the clock”. For now, the Minnesota Vikings are slotted to pick 24th in the first round, Thursday night.

One position the Vikings are not expected to spend one of their league-low four draft choices on, between April 24-26, is quarterback. Especially given how little draft capital to work with, a developmental QB wouldn’t make sense, with so many resources already dedicated to the growth of 2024 No. 10 overall pick, JJ McCarthy.

Minnesota Vikings still need veteran QB help

Nonetheless, securing a veteran QB to pair with their recovering redshirt rookie continues to climb up the 2025 MN Vikings offseason to-do list, with every day that ticks by. At this point, all worthy veteran free agent options are off the market, unless head coach Kevin O’Connell changes his mind on Aaron Rodgers.

That’s why the Vikings are also heavily shopping the QB trade market, where a couple different types of quarterbacks exist, depending on what KOC & Co are looking for… some more controversial than others.

For weeks, the Vikings have been linked to their former QB1, Kirk Cousins, who wants out of Atlanta after the Falcons stabbed him in the back one year ago by drafting Michael Penix Jr in the same offseason they signed Cousins to be their starter.

According to Adam Schefter this morning at ESPN, Kirk and the Falcons now “recognize their future is not together”. That’s where the Minnesota Vikings, who have previously reported interest in a Kirk Cousins reunion, come into play.

How much are the Vikings willing to pay for a Cousins reunion?

As was the case last offseason, the Vikings’ interest in Cousins is dictated by his price. Per Schefter’s sources, the Steelers have also checked in on Kirk. Both offers seem to be in the range of paying $10 million of Kirk’s remaining $45 million guaranteed.

There is a feeling around the league that a team, whether it is the Vikings or Steelers, might be willing to pay down roughly $10 million. How much any team would be willing to pay also would influence the compensation it gives up. The higher the payment, the lower the draft compensation; the lower the payment, the higher the draft compensation.

Adam Schefter – ESPN

Up until recently, the Falcons have mostly refused Cousins’ trade requests, arguing they’d rather pay Kirk as an overpriced backup, than pay him to leave. But with the draft closing in, that stance has now changed.

Related: MN Vikings Like Their Current Backup QB More Than Most Realize

The Falcons’ self-inflicted quarterback drama continues to be so steamy that it makes anything the Vikings have dealt with recently look like it came from an episode of the “Not So Desperate Housewives”. That would change if they swing a deal for Kirk Cousins.

Who would you rather… Sam Howell or Kirk Cousins?

The other trade candidate QB the Minnesota Vikings have been connected to recently would bring a lot less drama, three year veteran, Sam Howell. According to reports, the Seattle Seahawks are shopping Howell, who has 20 games of starting experience under his still wet-behind-the-ears NFL QB belt.

Per Jeremy Fowler (ESPN), Seattle has already taken multiple calls on the 24-year-old former Tar Heel, and the Minnesota Vikings are believed to be one of the teams they’ve spoken with. Only time will tell what O’Connell decides to do in the QB room, but much of his thought process will be dictated by how good McCarthy looks during offseason workouts in the coming weeks.