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Kirk Cousins’ time with the Minnesota Vikings has largely been disappointing. They signed him after the 2017 season to assist push a workforce that misplaced within the convention championship recreation to the Tremendous Bowl. The 2023 season is Cousins’ sixth with the Vikings. They’ve received just one playoff recreation in two appearances.
His general passing numbers have been good, however the Vikings have been a middle-of-the-pack workforce since his arrival — aside from last-season’s rash of one-score victories. This season appeared headed for a typical Vikings’ end during which their file hovers round .500, however Cousins’ will doubtless not take the sector once more in 2023, following a 24-10 win in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
He suffered a dreaded non-contact harm to his Achilles. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Cousins’ Achilles harm is believed to be a rupture. He’ll bear an MRI on Monday to substantiate the extent of the harm. The one begins that Cousins has ever missed had been on account of COVID in 2021, and he was rested the ultimate recreation of the 2019 season.
The Vikings’ Week 8 victory strikes their file to 4-4 on the season, and they’re presently holding onto the final playoff spot within the NFC. Their backup is 25-year-old rookie Jaren Corridor, a fifth-round decide within the 2023 NFL Draft.
With the Tuesday commerce deadline quick approaching, the Vikings now don’t have any straightforward solutions on how you can strategy it. All through this season, NFL analysts have steered {that a} commerce needs to be labored out for Cousins. He has a no-trade clause in his expiring contract, however the proper state of affairs ought to have been capable of persuade him to waive it. The New York Jets would have been an important spot. He can be a one-year rental in the event that they count on to start out Aaron Rodgers in 2024.
A commerce for Cousins would have value the Jets lots of property for lower than a full-season of labor, however by including Cousins to their gifted roster as an alternative of trotting out Zach Wilson, they may have contended for a Tremendous Bowl. That transfer is now out of the query, if the Vikings had been even severely contemplating it. Additionally, as a deadline transfer, it could not have made the Vikings unhealthy sufficient for one of many prime QBs within the 2024 NFL Draft.
They’re .500, with a remaining schedule that’s not that troublesome. Their subsequent two video games are on the street in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons, and at residence in opposition to the New Orleans Saints. Each groups have proven expertise this season, however little consistency and been pressured to work round lower than splendid performances at beginning quarterback.
The Vikings might cut up these two, and depart them with the Cincinnati Bengals and two matchups in opposition to the Detroit Lions as the one video games in opposition to playoff-caliber groups left on the schedule. They might not lose sufficient video games to have the ability to draft one of many prime quarterback prospects within the 2024 NFL Draft.
In the event that they select to not signal Cousins to even a brief extension within the spring, they are going to be in peril of two misplaced seasons. Two seasons nicely underneath .500, and no likelihood at actually refreshing the quarterback place till 2025 — a a lot worse projected quarterback class.
Accidents are at all times unlucky and unpredictable, however the Vikings might have chalked up two seasons as a loss lengthy earlier than Cousins went down at Lambeau Discipline. By not engaged on a deal to commerce Cousins’ expiring contract they left the workforce too aggressive for half of the season. Now their best choice is perhaps one other two years of Cousins at $30-plus million per, and see if they will lastly construct a roster round him that may be probably the greatest within the league and not using a historic success in one-score video games.
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