Is it time to move on from Kirk Cousins?
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Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his contract and many fans are wondering if the Vikings will grant him another extension or if they will begin looking for the quarterback of the future. This decision is much more difficult than it appears on paper, as Kirk Cousins last year had some really high moments like all of the comeback wins he orchestrated, but also many low moments against Super Bowl favorites like the Eagles and Cowboys. Would the Vikings be smart to give Kirk one more chance in this system to see if he can really be the guy, or would they be better off using a draft pick on a quarterback and beginning the transition process?
Last year, Kirk strayed away from his conservative approach the majority of the yearm which led to more interceptions. This is normal, but it also led to many amazing plays and drive saving moments. Many fans criticize Kirk for being conservative even labeling him as “check down Kirk '', but he gave us a breath of fresh air by taking shots at Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson and allowing their stars to go make plays. That was until the most important play of the year, 4th and 8 with the season on the line and he threw a 3 yard checkdown to T.J. Hockenson to end the season and leave a bitter taste in Vikings fans mouths. His stats weren’t mind boggling, but sometimes stats don’t show the full picture. Kirk led one of the best 4th quarter offenses in NFL history while leading them to an undefeated regular season record in one score games. He showed us that never give up attitude and it was contagious across the team as this was one of the most exciting regular seasons the Vikings have had in years.
If we look towards the draft, the Vikings have been linked to Kentucky QB Will Levis and Florida QB Anthony Richardson. While Richardson may be a longshot unless a trade happens, Will Levis is definitely possible and appears to be a great fit in the offense Kevin O’Connell is running. The Vikings have so many defensive needs and Kirk takes up a lot of money on his contract, so many believe that moving towards a quarterback on a rookie contract would allow the Vikings to fill out the holes on the roster. This will also provide us a quarterback with some more mobility in the pocket that can compensate for the interior line not being the strongest.
Both sides clearly have pros and cons linked to them, but the Vikings would be smart to not extend Kirk and let him have his one year prove it season along with drafting a quarterback if Levis or Richardson falls to them. If he plays well, then they can extend him in the offseason and allow the young quarterback to grow under Kirk and wait for his time to come. If he doesn’t play how they expect him to, they can let him walk and now the rookie quarterback has at least one year of NFL experience.