Vikings Likely to Extend Kirk Cousins Beyond 2023

By Eric Strack |

Updated: Oct 16, 2022

Kirk Cousins signed a contract extension this past offseason that has him scheduled to quarterback the Minnesota Vikings through 2023. His re-signing signaled to the rest of the organization, and to the fanbase, that there would be no offseason rebuild.

Vikings Committed to Cousins

And according to Charley Walters, columnist at the Pioneer Press, the Vikings are still committed to Kirk Cousins going forward. Not just for next year, but beyond.

It’s starting to look like the Minnesota Vikings will have Kirk Cousins as their quarterback again next year, and possibly beyond.
Cousins, 34, already is guaranteed $30 million for the 2023 season, the final year of his contract. He has played well enough through the Vikings’ 4-1 start that the notion of trying to trade him for draft picks to get an elite QB next spring might not be a consideration. If the Vikings continue to win, they wouldn’t get a high enough first-round pick to take a top young QB anyway.
There’s even a distinct possibility now that the Vikings, if Cousins continues to play well, next March could extend him for at least a year, through 2024, when he would be 36. A one-year extension would be expected to cost nearly $40 million.
Charley Walters (Pioneer Press)

Reality Check

I like how Walters covers all of his bases, with this report. It’s not that the Minnesota Vikings don’t want a young, talented, cheap starting quarterback to build a team around. That’s the ideal scenario for any NFL organization.

The 2022 Vikings are 4-1 (hopefully 5-1 after Sunday) and trending toward a playoff team. That means, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell won’t be in a position to grab a top young QB near the front of the draft.

Spending an early 1st round pick on a talented quarterback is a worthy investment/risk for NFL front offices. Without a top-15 QB, winning a super bowl is nearly impossible. But trading away your franchise’ entire future to make it happen, is another question entirely.

The last thing the Minnesota Vikings want to do is jettison an already top-15 QB, just to find themselves in the same boat as the Chicago Bears are with Justin Fields. No future at QB and no draft picks to make up for it. If Kirk Cousins & Co keeps winning, another extension is the right thing to do.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan