Why the Vikings might soon have to consider trading Kirk Cousins.

The Minnesota Vikings’ co-owner Zygi Wilf had just left the locker room after Sunday night’s defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.
U’s tunnel was traversed by him alone.
S.
With a look that can only be described as devastated, 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 truth that Minnesota is significantly down and that it is getting harder each week to see things positively, like the rest of the team.

As the Vikings lose to the Chiefs, the injury to Justin Jefferson is a major concern.

The 1-4 Chicago Bears are the opposition in the ensuing NFC North road game.
The renowned San Francisco 49ers then visit the area for “Monday Night Football.”.
“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 has been mentioned as one of the candidates Minnesota should consider moving on from for weeks, but it still feels premature to mention him.
For a team that entered the 2023 season hoping to win the NFC North for a second consecutive year, the notion still seems a little too early.
Even though there are many obstacles in the way of a Cousins trade happening, the more of a hole the Vikings fall into, the more relevant a topic it will become.

The contract for Cousins is the first of these obstacles. The 35-year-old quarterback has a no-trade clause, so any potential deal would need his approval.
Numerous issues arise regarding Cousins as a result of this.

• He has repeatedly stated that he wants to finish his career in Minnesota; would he be willing to move away on a whim?

He has stated that he sees immense value in accumulating time and experience with the same system and play caller.

• Would he be OK having to learn a new offense on the fly?
• Cousins started 2-4 in 2015 with Washington, then led the team to a 9-8 record and a playoff berth.
  Would he leave a team that he cares deeply about with so many games left to play?

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

Would the Wilfs be prepared to punt on 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?
• How would the best wide receiver in the world, Justin Jefferson, feel if he didn’t know who his quarterback would be, especially in the prime of his career?

Teams’ potential interest in Cousins is also a subject of controversy. 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 conversation does, in fact, 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, even though the advanced statistics do not present a picture that is as optimistic.
To use the quarterbacks of the two aforementioned teams as examples, Desmond Ridder and Zach Wilson, all of those statistics dwarf theirs.

The Falcons in particular are intriguing because they have a lot of cap space that they could use to sign Cousins to a longer-term contract in the future.
In essence, this would lessen the risk Cousins would be taking by switching to a new system and play caller in the middle of the season.
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 help to increase 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 with his arm health and movement.

The majority of Cousins’ actions, including this choice, reflect his meticulous quest for a Super Bowl victory. And it makes sense to go back to the big picture of the Vikings situation in that vein.

Minnesota’s team-building strategy has been dubbed a “competitive rebuild” by Adofo-Mensah.
“Winning now while constructing for the future is the objective, he has stated.
The Vikings were a competitive team last year. They finished with 13 victories, winning the division. The Vikings have displayed competitive play this time around.
The Detroit Lions are currently three games ahead of them in the North, but they are 1-4.

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.