Jared Allen Thinks Vikings Should Move on from Kirk Cousins

By Eric Strack |

Updated: Nov 29, 2023

Jared Allen is one of the greatest Minnesota Vikings pass rushers of all time. No, he didn’t play here long enough to push his overall sack numbers to the likes of purple people eaters, Carl Eller (130*), Jim Marshall (127*) and Allan Page (108*); or even 1990’s legend John Randle (114).

^{*Unofficial (played before sacks were an official statistic)}

Jared Allen is a Minnesota Vikings legend

But if you compare Allen’s ‘Games Played’, to other legendary Vikings pass rushers, it will quickly become apparent just how dominant #69 Jared Allen really was, while wearing purple. In only 96 games, he racked up 85.5 total sacks, just below one sack per game (0.89). John Randle played in 176 games (0.65 sacks per game)

There are only two other modern day players (Keith Millard and Doug Martin) who rank in the official top-10 of all-time Vikings sacks list, who played less than 100 games in purple. Both sit at the bottom and neither can hold a candle to Jared Allen’s production.

Want a more modern comparison? Danielle Hunter, who has just one less sack than Allen and will surely pass him on the official all-time sacks list at some point this season (assuming good healthy), has played in 114 games as a Viking (0.74 sacks per game).

NAME	GP	SCK	TKL	AST	COMB	SCKY	INT	INT YDS	INT TD	FF	FR	FR TD
John Randle	176	114.0					1	1	0		9	0
Chris Doleman	154	96.5					5	118	2		16	0
Jared Allen	96	85.5	246	83	329	529	4	50	1	16	9	1
Danielle Hunter	114	84.5	304	135	439	601.5	0	0	0	11	4	2
Everson Griffen	156	79.5	268	102	370	530	2	46	1	11	6	1
Brian Robison	173	60.0	207	82	289	354	0	0	0	13	8	1
Kevin Williams	171	60.0	334	131	465	384.5	5	82	2	7	13	2
Henry Thomas	118	56.0					2	7	0		8	2
Keith Millard	75	53.0					2	65	0		7	1
Doug Martin	99	50.5					1	0	0		6	0

StatMuse

Jared Allen says it’s time for Vikings to move on from Kirk Cousins

But guess what, great players do not always make great NFL commentators or opinion havers. Jared Allen proved that to be the case Tuesday, when on Kay Adams’ podcast “Up and Adams” he was asked what the Vikings should do with Kirk Cousins, coming off a torn achilles tendon he suffered a month ago.

To be fair, this clearly wasn’t a topic Allen had put all that much thought into, prior to Adams asking him about it. Still, he didn’t hesitate to say that there’d be no way you’d catch him paying an aging Cousins $30+ million, coming off of an Achilles tear.

What should the Vikings do with Kirk Cousins? Vikings legend Jared Allen weighed in@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/V5lgienuQF
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 28, 2023

Allen: “You blow your Achilles out at this point of your career, I’m just… I mean, it’s a young man’s game, it’s going that way. I don’t know that you can invest that much more money [or the money] it would take to keep him, to be honest. I don’t think it has any bearing on his ability. But you’re gonna come off an injury and I don’t know what his contract situation is…”

Adams: “It’s the last year of his deal.”

Allen: “Oh, you can’t pay him. That’s just… it’s a no-brainer. You can’t pay him. Sorry Kirk, it’s nothing personal, nothing personal at all. But, as a fan, if I’m the GM, what are you gonna have to pay him, $25-$30 million a year? Can’t do it. Sorry, the ride’s done.”

Kirk will cost more than $25-30 million

Well, I hope Jared Allen ends up being wrong about a lot of things said in this clip but he’s definitely wrong about one thing. Kirk Cousins is going to cost more than what he estimated, at $25-30 million.

If he’s willing to take that, and I’m Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should find a Sharpie immediately so he can watch Kirk sign that contract and lead the Vikings for another two or three seasons.

More than likely, Minnesota’s GM will be competing with offers for Kirk closer to $40 million per year, if he is willing to take a one-year contract. Up until recently, less than two years would’ve been a deal breaker for Cousins, but he’s had a change of heart following Achilles surgery, according to the latest reports.