One of the NFL’s premier heavyweights will make a run at Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins next year should he hit the open market, according to an NFL insider.
The 35-year-old Cousins is entering the final year of his contract with the Vikings. Barring any sudden change of heart on the Vikings’ end, it looks like they’ll be keen on allowing the the four-time Pro Bowler play out the final year of his contract without extending it.
Speaking on “The Rich Eisen Show” (h/t Lorenzo Reyna of Heavy.com), Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested that the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will engage in “a potential tug of far” for Cousins in 2024 free agency:
“I think you’re going to see — unless the Vikings re-sign him by then, and they can’t use the franchise tag on him, the way his contract is structured — you’re going to see a potential tug of war between Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay for Kirk Cousins next March. Mark that down.”
49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan and Cousins worked together for two seasons in Washington. The the former served as the team’s offensive coordinator during Cousins’ rookie and sophomore years, playing behind 2012 No. 2 overall selection Robert Griffin III.
The 49ers went 13-4 last year with three different starting quarterbacks in Brock Purdy (2022 Mr. Irrelevant), Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan can make it work with many quarterbacks, so pursuing a 36-year-old Cousins in 2024 would come with a lot of risk.
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Of course, Cousins just might buy himself more time in Minny if he can lead the franchise on a deep playoff run. But if the Vikings let Cousins walk, he’ll unquestionably be one of the most coveted free agents of 2024.
