The Vikings’ Single Largest Cap Hit is a Bit Surprising and Discouraging

The Vikings’ Single Largest Cap Hit is a Bit Surprising and Discouraging

Lately, the conversation has been dominated by the Justin Jefferson extension. No doubt, that’s great news.

Stepping back for a broader discussion of the Vikings’ finances may involve considering how the cap is being allocated in 2024. Minnesota is working through what is now the NFL’s 3rd largest dead money pile. A major reason why the total is so monstrous — $57,380,208 — is due to the leftover cap charge from Kirk Cousins’ deal.

The Vikings’ Single Largest Cap Hit Belongs to Kirk Cousins

Since the beginning, Kirk Cousins has been controversial in Minnesota because of the money.

Prying him away from Washington meant shipping out a three-year deal that promised to pay $84 million in fully guaranteed money. It was a huge amount of money for a QB with lots of talent and yet not too many team accomplishments.

Cousins had his ups and downs in Minnesota. One simply thinks of all of the offensive coordinators — John DeFilippo, Kevin Stefanski, Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak, Kevin O’Connell/Wes Phillips — as simply one way of explaining the up-and-down nature of his time at the helm.

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And yet within that Cousins was able to stick around, seeing his deal extended multiple times to he could keep calling Minnesota home. What was a three-year commitment eventually doubled in total years. Add it all together and Cousins was the quarterback in Minnesota for six seasons.

In fact, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah put together the final contract adjustment. Doing so cleared off money in 2023, leading to some immediate benefit for Minnesota last year. However, the bill is now being paid. The Vikings have a whopping $28.5 million rendered inaccessible due to Cousins’ contract.