The Minnesota Vikings have a new quarterback in Kirk Cousins. He had the best season of his career last year, but it was only one half before he was traded to Washington for just three draft picks. Now with less than two years left on his contract, how will Cousins’ performance over the next 2 seasons impact where he ends up playing?
The “kirk cousins 2021 salary” is a question that many people are wondering about. Kirk Cousins has been with the Vikings for 3 years now, but his contract expires in March of next year. His future in Minnesota could be determined by the next 5 games.
On Nov. 21, quarterback Kirk Cousins had one of his greatest games with the Minnesota Vikings, going toe-to-toe with Aaron Rodgers and leading the Vikings to a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers.
The future appeared a bit clearer at that point. The Vikings were in the heart of the NFC wild-card chase and looked like a squad that may make the playoffs. Cousins remained the same as he had been for the most of the season, a reliable passer and leader. He took his head coach’s challenge to be more aggressive and delivered great results. Cousins was regarded as a top-10 quarterback everywhere, with Pro Football Focus ranking him second overall behind Tom Brady following the victory over Green Bay.
Cousins and the Vikings are at a fork in the road three weeks later, with a Thursday night battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox/NFL Network) looming. Minnesota is now 5-7 after falling to the Detroit Lions, who snapped a 15-game losing run. Mike Zimmer, the Vikings’ coach, has been accused of being on borrowed time. Given Cousins’ one-year deal, this conjecture extends to his future in Minnesota.
Why The remainder of the season will determine Cousins’ future Johnson, a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has emerged as an excellent player. Titans believe in Vrabel’s messaging The Raiders’ sluggish start might spell their doom . Dunlap attempts to make the most of his opportunity.
Several factors will influence whether Cousins remains with the team or is traded, beginning with the path management wishes to go after the 2021 season. The Vikings may seek a fresh start if they fire Zimmer and/or general manager Rick Spielman, two people who will be indelibly associated to the decision to bring Cousins to Minnesota. Many times, a new coach or front staff may want to make their own quarterback pick. If the Vikings commit to Cousins now, it may be tough for them to make the hiring they want.
Cousins will use the next five games of the regular season as an audition for a lucrative deal with the Vikings or to increase his trade value with another club. The fact that three of the five games are slated for prime time — when Cousins is 8-17 – serves as a background for that tryout.
The agreement
Cousins signed the NFL’s first fully guaranteed contract, worth $84 million over three years, with the Vikings as a free agency in 2018. In March 2020, he signed a two-year agreement for $66 million that would keep him with the Vikings until the 2022 season.
Cousins’ $35 million basic contract for 2022 became fully guaranteed at the start of the 2021 league year. The quarterback will be hit with a $45 million cap hit next season, accounting for 21.24 percent of Minnesota’s salary budget.
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Although this sort of deal is more common in the NBA than in the NFL, the Broncos and Rams recently pulled off a similar maneuver when linebacker Von Miller was dealt to Los Angeles. Denver acquired the Rams’ second and third-round selections in 2022 in exchange for taking on the bulk of Miller’s salary despite his playing elsewhere after the trade deadline.
A club that feels its championship window has closed might justify making a deal and paying more than the basic salary of $35 million. Keeping the 33-year-old quarterback, who is sixth in completion percentage, fifth in touchdowns, and third in passer rating this season, would come at a big cost, whether in Minnesota or elsewhere.
Mike Tannenbaum, an ESPN front office insider, stated, “He’s a solid NFL quarterback.” “We can sit here and argue over whether he’s six or sixteen.” However, he is an excellent depiction of a successful NFL quarterback, and it comes at a cost.
“On an annual average (salary), he’ll be right where he’s been, if not slightly higher, depending on how he’s performed.” And I believe his logic is that “if they (Minnesota) don’t pay me that, someone else will.”
What would another club acquire for that kind of money?
Former NFL defensive back and current ESPN commentator Matt Bowen remarked, “He doesn’t have scheme-transcendent characteristics.” “He’s definitely a mid-tier No. 1, and in the right system, you can win with a mid-tier No. 1 if you can read it out of the pocket, hit the scheme throws, be aggressive when he needs to or wants to, take one-on-ones, and occasionally play out of structure when it’s required.” And Kirk can take care of everything.”
Minnesota has agreed to an extension.
Justin Jefferson is a budding star in Minnesota, and the Vikings must make finding the perfect quarterback to give him the ball a priority. Getty Images/Gregory Shamus
If Cousins leads the Vikings to the playoffs, he may be offered a contract extension in Minnesota. In the end, Minnesota must decide if it can find a quarterback who is both as efficient and less costly than Cousins. The Vikings don’t seem to have that man on the roster, as rookie Kellen Mond, who was picked to be Cousins’ backup, has remained inactive throughout the season.
Cousins has the second-highest QBR (57), behind Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams, and the third-highest yards per attempt (7.5), ahead of Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, and Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns, among the notable starting quarterbacks whose contracts are set to expire after the 2022 season. His 8.3 TD-INT ratio outperforms all of the aforementioned quarterbacks, as well as Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers.
Cousins has improved significantly this season in a number of categories. His interception percentage of 0.7 percent is a career high and the highest in the NFL. He’s also throwing his best deep ball since 2016, with a 45 percent completion rate on passes of 20 yards or more, which is good for eighth in the NFL.
His receiver group is a part of it. Minnesota may want to work on an extension for Justin Jefferson this summer, as he enters the third year of a possible five-year rookie deal.
Cousins was signed by the Vikings in 2018 with the expectation of a lengthy relationship. But it’s unclear how many of the players from that press conference — coach Mike Zimmer, Cousins, GM Rick Spielman, and owner Mark Wilf — will be back in three years. Jim Mone/AP Photo
The Vikings are expected to be $11.4 million above the salary limit in 2022, according to Over The Cap, a website that analyzes contracts and salary caps. Cousins’ extension would assist Minnesota’s financial situation, but finding common ground with a quarterback who has never signed a team-friendly contract might be difficult.
Cousins’ value may be higher elsewhere, and the Vikings must determine where he fits into their plans depending on his performance in the last five games. As a result, Cousins must decide what comes next, whether it’s getting dealt to a club that can place him in a better position to win a championship or sticking in Minnesota with a big contract and the notion that his greatest years are still ahead of him.
“He’s not the ideal quarterback,” Tannenbaum said, “but you (Minnesota) have to examine your choices.” “That’s why, whether he’s in Denver, Cleveland, New Orleans, or Minnesota, he’ll be handsomely compensated.” There will be a lot of teams looking for a quarterback, and although he isn’t perfect, he has helped them win a lot of games, which is the most important position.”
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The “how much does kirk cousins make per game” is a question that the Minnesota Vikings will have to answer soon. The five games that they play before the season ends, may determine if Kirk Cousins will stay or go.
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