The Minnesota Vikings could be in a position to land Kirk Cousins, without giving up any assets whatsoever, or even taking on any of his albatross contract, to back up Michigan Wolverines football legend J.J. McCarthy.
The Sporting News’s Ryan O’Leary relayed the possibility, noting that Cousins could potentially be had at a “significant discount.”
“The Vikings have screamed confidence in McCarthy through their actions this offseason, opting to save cash and pass on solid veteran options like Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Flacco and Rodgers. McCarthy is Minnesota’s guy, and he’ll enter the regular season as the starter with rock-solid job security, as long as he’s healthy,” O’Leary wrote.
“Bringing Cousins back does make sense for Minnesota regardless. At this point, the Vikings are better off waiting to see how the situation plays out. If the Falcons finally cave and grant Cousins his release, Minnesota could bring him back at a significant discount without parting ways with a future draft pick.”
Here’s the catch, though: the Atlanta Falcons and Cousins may not go their separate ways this offseason.
“It feels, to me at least, like it’ll take a material change to someone else’s quarterback situation (be it by performance or injury) for Cousins to wind up on another team. My understanding is that once camp starts, Cousins, whose family is now rooted in his wife’s home state of Georgia, might not just waive his no-trade clause to start anywhere—it may take the right situation for him to go,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote.
McCarthy needs a high-end backup to hedge against his health. Cousins still sees himself as a potential starter. The Falcons’ brass might see that, too, by the end of training camp.
Minnesota sounds good in theory, but if Cousins isn’t going to budge, then it may remain in the hypothetical realm, regardless of how much sense it makes.