After spending a notable career as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback, it appears Kirk Cousins will remain with the team through the final year of his contract in 2023 as the two sides are still unable to come to an agreement on a multiyear extension.
Kirk joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 on a fully guaranteed three-year contract, and in his four seasons with the team, he scored 4,097 yards and 31 touchdowns. The star quarterback for the Vikings was incredibly dependable and consistent from his first campaign with the team, completing 425 passes in 2018, a Vikings single-season record.
What did the Vikings GM state about their contract with Kirk Cousins?
Kirk Cousins signed a one-year, $35 million contract extension with the Vikings back in March 2022, and beginning of this year, Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stated that the team anticipates having Cousins as their starting quarterback in 2023. However, he was unable to comment on the possibility of a multi-year contract extension for the quarterback.
The parties are still unable to reach a compromise. The general manager remarked on Saturday night that they are still in the negotiation room, as, in order to come to a decision, both parties must accept the decision that is not mutually agreeable to them.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah "excited" about Kirk Cousins but "every option is open" going forwardhttps://t.co/E2YEpv1vgk pic.twitter.com/WO9EkDmaZn
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 30, 2023
“When you go into a contract negotiation, you’re trying to come up with solutions together,” the GM said.
“It’s not just what Kwesi wants or what the Vikings want or what Kirk wants. It’s what we can do together to ultimately put up that Lombardi [Trophy]. 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,” he further added.
Adofo-Mensah conceded that the 34-year-old, leading the Vikings to their first-ever overtime playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints in his second season with the team, has nothing to show for his abilities.
In his most recent season, he threw for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in 17 games, good for a passer rating of 92.5, and his team went 13-4 overall.
“Kirk doesn’t need to show anything to me,” he said. “Kirk has played football at a high level before I got to the Minnesota Vikings. Last year, we won 13 games. I don’t know what he would need to prove to me or anybody else.”
In the first round of the NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings recently selected USC wide receiver Jordan Addison with the 23rd overall pick after parting ways this spring with Adam Thielen. Yet, they don’t seem to have made up their minds about their four years veteran QB.
