A one-year extension for Kirk Cousins seems unlikely

As it was last offseason, one of the big questions that the Minnesota Vikings have to face this year is what to do with quarterback Kirk Cousins. Last year, Cousins signed a one-year contract extension through the 2023 season to provide the Vikings a bit of salary cap relief and solidify the position for another year.

It doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen again this year.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, a one-year extension for Cousins is something that is not expected to happen this offseason, with the team likely looking at one of two options for Cousins’ deal: Either giving him a longer-term extension or simply allowing him to play out the final year of his contract before moving on.

Now, I can hear the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments from here about a potential long-term extension for Cousins, who is now the third-oldest starting quarterback in the NFL. As things stand right now, there isn’t a clear succession plan in place to replace Cousins, as the team has not spent a meaningful pick on a quarterback since. . .well, since they drafted Teddy Bridgewater, quite frankly.

Kevin O’Connell clearly likes Cousins as his quarterback and has said as much in the past. However, the Vikings are reaching a point with Cousins where they have to pick a path forward. If they think that Cousins can get them where they want to go, then they need to make the commitment. If O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah want to try to put their stamp on this roster, than the surest way to do that is to try to make some sort of move in this April’s draft for “their guy” and give him the keys in 2024 after he caddies for Cousins for a year.

What complicates this is that the Vikings have limited draft capital for this season. . .only five selections. Of course, if there’s a quarterback in this draft class that the Vikings think is their guy for the long-term, they wouldn’t have any issue using future picks to make that move up. The other issue is that moving up to where they likely need to be from where they are now is going to take a lot. The top quarterbacks in this year’s draft are likely to be gone within the top five picks of the first round, and certainly within the top ten. If Adofo-Mensah wants to make that move up, he’s going to have to pay for it.

This is just one of the many issues that’s going to play itself out this offseason, and the outcome of this decision is likely going to determine whether O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah keep their jobs in Minnesota for more than a few years. No pressure or anything.

What path do you prefer for the Vikings?