:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58865223/usa_today_10483519.0.jpg)
Yes, two stories centered around Kirk Cousins in a row this morning. But, what else are we going to talk about?
With the Vikings needing an answer at the quarterback spot and no shortage of potential options, there have been reports coming out that have Cousins being pretty closely tied to the Minnesota Vikings. He’s the rare (potential) franchise quarterback that is getting a chance to hit the open market after a couple of seasons of playing under the Franchise Tag, and the assumption thus far has been that a team signing Cousins is viewing him as a long-term answer.
However, according to Ben Leber (who cites a report from Peter Schrager of the NFL Network), Cousins might be seeking a deal that really wouldn’t appear to make him the “long-term” answer anywhere.
From yesterday: @PSchrags mentions Cousins looking for 3-4yr deal above $27.5M per. Others have suggest 75-85% guaranteed. Good for #Vikings? I think so.
— Ben Leber (@nacholeber) March 1, 2018
According to the report, Cousins is seeking a deal that’s only about three or four years long. The reasoning behind this is would appear to be that such a deal would give him an opportunity to hit the free agent market again in a few years and potentially cash in one more time.
That sort of logic makes sense. Cousins will turn 30 in August, and if he were to sign a four-year deal with a new team, he could potentially hit the market again at age 34. If he puts up big numbers over the course of that contract, he could be able to get himself one more big free agent contract (or get Franchised a few more times, I suppose) before finally riding off into the sunset.
On the other hand. . .and this might be a stretch on my part. . .if this is part of Cousins’ thought process, perhaps this whole exercise really is going to be more about the money than winning football games, and if that’s the case the Vikings might not be able to compete in his marketplace. Teams like the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets could offer Cousins more money to come in and be their quarterback, even though the Vikings could offer him quite a bit.
Do you think you’d be happy with three or four years of Kirk Cousins if the Vikings were to sign him? Would you want him to commit to something longer? Does this sort of news push you away from Camp Cousins if that’s where you are right now?