Kirk Cousins agrees to 1-year extension with Vikings worth $35 million
Kirk Cousins just keeps winning at the bank.
The veteran quarterback who famously joined the Minnesota Vikings on a historic fully guaranteed $84 million deal in 2018 and has since signed a $66 million extension agreed to a new extension with the franchise on Sunday. The Vikings announced the agreement, which keeps Cousins in Minnesota through the 2023 season. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the terms, which include a fully guaranteed $35 million in 2023.
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Per Pelissero, Cousins also gets a raise from $35 million to $40 million in the upcoming season and a no-trade clause. The deal saves the Vikings $14 million against the salary cap, according to the report. Per Spotrac, the deal will put Cousins at more than $231 million in career earnings through the 2023 season.
The extension appears to take Cousins off the trade market as the Vikings enter the offseason under first-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Menshah and first-year head coach Kevin O'Connell. Speculation that new management would look in a different direction after the Vikings missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons was put to rest in the process.
Cousins has completed 68.3% of his passes for 260.1 yards per game on 7.7 yards per attempt since joining the Vikings in 2018. He's averaged 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions per season in the same timeframe. After advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs with Cousins in 2019, the Vikings have gone 7-9 and 8-9 while missing the playoffs the last two seasons.
The Vikings feature dynamic playmakers on offense in Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen. They appear to be confident that Cousins will show progress under O'Donnell, who arrived in Minnesota this offseason after a stint as the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
