Why trading Kirk Cousins is an option the Vikings may soon have to consider.

Why the Vikings might have to think about trading Kirk Cousins soon.

After Sunday night’s defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings co-owner Zygi Wilf had just left the locker room.
Through the tunnel at U, he went alone.
S. a look that can only be described as devastated could be seen on Bank Stadium.

The Vikings were now 1-4 on the year and lost their key player, Justin Jefferson, to a hamstring injury.
Wilf appeared to be accepting the fact that Minnesota is severely struggling and that it is getting harder and harder to look on the bright side of things each week, like the majority of the team.

The 1-4 Chicago Bears will be the visitors for the ensuing NFC North game.
For “Monday Night Football” after that, the renowned San Francisco 49ers visit the area.
“When you take into account Jefferson’s placement on injured reserve, you see that the team has some choices to make as the trade deadline draws near.

Kirk Cousins, a quarterback, has been mentioned as one of the candidates Minnesota should look at moving has felt premature to mention for weeks. The notion still seems a little too early for a team that entered the 2023 season hoping to win the NFC North for a second consecutive year.
Even though there are many obstacles in the way of a Cousins trade happening, it will become a more relevant topic the deeper the Vikings dig their hole.

The Cousins contract is the first of these obstacles.
The quarterback, who is 35 years old, has a no-trade clause, so any potential deal would need to get his approval. This raises a lot of concerns about Cousins.

• He has said many times that he wants to finish his career in Minnesota, would he be willing to leave Minnesota on a relative whim?
• He has stated that he sees immense value in building time and experience with the same system and play caller. Would he be OK having to learn a new offense on the fly?

In 2015, Cousins started 2-4 with Washington before leading the team to a 9-8 record and a playoff berth.

• Would he leave a team that he feels passionately about with so many games left to play?

For the Vikings and their stakeholders, there is also a similarly complicated list of questions.

• Would the Wilfs agree to punt a season?

Would general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be able to secure a favorable payout?

• Would Nick Mullens or Jaren Hall be a more comfortable starting quarterback for head coach Kevin O’Connell to finish the season?
• Considering that he is in the prime of his career, how would superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson feel about the uncertainty surrounding who his quarterback would be?

Concerns exist regarding teams’ potential interest in Cousins.
For instance, would teams like the New York Jets or Atlanta Falcons be willing and able to take on Cousins’ contract, as well as would those teams be willing to fork over premium draft capital — and even long-term finances — to sign Cousins to an extension after they have acquired him?

This explains why the discussion does indeed feel pertinent. Cousins leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (13) and passing yards (1,498) through the first five weeks of the season.
Cousins still places 10th in RBSDM’s overall efficiency metric, despite the fact that the advanced statistics do not present a picture that is as optimistic.
To use the quarterbacks of the two teams above as examples, Zach Wilson and Desmond Ridder, all of those stats dwarf theirs.

The Falcons in particular are intriguing because they will have plenty of cap space in the future that they could use to sign Cousins to a longer-term contract.
By doing this, Cousins’ risk of switching to a new system and play caller in the middle of the season would be reduced.
However, whether Atlanta believed its quarterback situation was critical enough to take a risk would determine that level of decision.

In that scenario, Cousins’ candor regarding his desire to play on would enhance his appeal.
Cousins has acknowledged over the course of the last two seasons that he only has so much time to compete for the ultimate prize, and he is open about wanting as many chances as possible. This is the reason he hired veteran trainer Chad Cook before the season to help him maintain his arm health and movement.

This choice, along with the majority of Cousins’ actions, reflects his meticulous quest for a Super Bowl victory. And it makes sense to go back to the overall situation with the Vikings in that light.

Adofo-Mensah described Minnesota’s team-building strategy as a “competitive rebuild.”.
He has stated that the objective is to succeed today while laying the groundwork for tomorrow.
The Vikings were a strong team last year.
A division championship was theirs after 13 victories.
The Vikings have demonstrated competitive play this time around.
However, they are 1-4 and already three games back of the Detroit Lions in the North.

If not, what will it take for the Vikings to consider all options in their attempt to reach a championship standard?
As difficult as the thought may be for so many involved, with 12 games left, the time may be approaching.