Kirk Cousins - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Officially Sign Kirk Cousins

March 15th, 2018 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The worst kept secret in football is no longer a secret. The Vikings have officially inked quarterback Kirk Cousins to a three-year, fully guaranteed deal.

Cousins now takes the reins of a Vikings team that came one win away from a Super Bowl appearance. Last year, Case Keenum transformed from an NFL afterthought to a legitimate NFL starter. Cousins comes in with a much stronger resume and, frankly, a sharper skillset.

Cousins’ three-year contract is worth a reported $84MM. The $28MM average annual value is less than anyone expected, but the deal is revolutionary in that it is 100% guaranteed. Cousins’ deal figures to shape the future deals of other quarterbacks, including upcoming extension talks for Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, and other star signal callers.

There were plenty of clubs interested in Cousins – including the Jets, Cardinals, and Broncos – but Minnesota wound up being Cousins’ first and only free agent visit. The Jets had the most cap room of the bunch to work with, by far, but Cousins apparently valued the opportunity to win right away with the Vikings. The Jets wound up going to their Plan B by re-signing Josh McCown and adding Teddy Bridgewater. The Cardinals inked Sam Bradford to a short-term deal that will cost less than Cousins’ deal, but is still fairly hefty with $20MM coming to him in 2018. The Broncos, meanwhile, were the first of the group to sign a QB by inking Keenum.

[RELATED: Vikings Depth Chart]

Extra Points: Broncos, Cousins, Coleman

March 13th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Broncos being interested in Kirk Cousins throughout the offseason, they moved on Case Keenum and reached an agreement before the Cousins domino fell. The Broncos, who do not have as much cap space as their top Cousins competitors do, spoke with the quarterback’s representation on Monday but did not submit an official offer, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The team’s Keenum agreement being at least $18MM represented a significant discount from Cousins’ near-$30MM-AAV deal — one expected to be with the Vikings. Despite Cousins having proven more than Keenum, Broncos brass moved quickly on this agreement and was on the same page about the belated breakout passer. Palmer reports that went a long way toward completing this deal. Gary Kubiak is currently serving as a top Broncos front office bastion. Kubiak initially brought Keenum into the NFL as a UDFA while serving as Texans HC.

Here’s more from Denver and elsewhere around the league on Day 2 of pre-free agency.

Now that the Broncos lost one of the UFAs they were trying to keep, when Corey Nelson agreed to terms with the Eagles, Denver is trying to retain a higher-profile linebacker. The Broncos are expected to try and ramp up their efforts to retain Todd Davis before he hits free agency on Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). This would continue a change of pace for the John Elway-era Broncos. Previous offseasons saw off-ball ‘backers Wesley Woodyard, Nate Irving and Danny Trevathan depart. But in 2016, Elway authorized an $8MM-per-year deal for Brandon Marshall. Davis almost certainly won’t cost that much, profiling as more of a two-down thumper than sideline-to-sideline rover who can reliably operate in coverage, but he won’t come cheap since he’s been a two-year starter on one of the league’s top defenses.
Kurt Coleman took two visits before agreeing to join the Saints, meeting with the Giants and Bengals, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com tweets. Coleman has bounced around the league, with his most recent stop being his most notable since the Panthers deployed him as a three-year starter — including in Super Bowl 50 — and signed him to an extension in 2016. Despite having played for three teams and having started 74 games, Coleman won’t turn 30 until July. The Giants are in need of a safety to complement Landon Collins. The Bengals, though, don’t have as obvious a need on their back line.

Vikings Likely To Sign Kirk Cousins

March 13th, 2018 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

It’s not a done deal, but it’s getting close. Kirk Cousins is likely to sign with the Vikings, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It would be a three-year, fully guaranteed contract (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, agent Mike McCartney is doing his best to pump the brakes.

“No final decisions have been made,” McCartney said. “The plan is to visit Minnesota first. That’s all we can say right now.”

The Jets, of course, have had their eye on Cousins for months. The Cardinals were also hoping to get involved, but their limited cap space was a major obstacle in the Cousins sweepstakes. The Broncos were also said to be in the “final four” for Cousins at one point, but they moved quickly to sign Case Keenum early Tuesday morning. It’s quite possible that Denver sensed that Cousins was likely to go to Minnesota, driving them towards Keenum before another team could scoop him up.

Cousins made the Vikings his first visit on Tuesday — without also scheduling a Jets visit. These visit arrangements becoming public is not permitted, however, by an odd rule. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains, negotiations between a player’s agent and a team can take place during the tampering period. But plans for a meeting are not yet allowed. This could put the Vikings in position to be punished in a fashion similar to the Chiefs, who were docked a 2016 third-round pick for tampering with Jeremy Maclin in 2015.

Reportedly, the Vikings have offered Cousins a three-year deal with a $28MM annual salary. That annual figure is a bit shy of what we expected Cousins to land in free agency, but it may come with an unprecedented level of guaranteed money. It’s also possible that Cousins has better offers out there, but he may lean toward the Vikings since they would give him an opportunity to win right away.

The Vikings came one game away from reaching the Super Bowl last season with Keenum at the helm. As good as Keenum was in 2017, Cousins would represent a significant upgrade under center for this talented Vikings squad.

This would bring an end to Cousins’ lengthy run of complicated offseasons, at least for a while. It stands to arm the Vikings — the NFC’s No. 2 seed last season — with a quarterback upgrade. Minnesota has uniquely advanced to its past five playoff brackets, dating back to 2008, with five different passers — none of which repeating the feat with the team.

Minnesota will also be in position to win one of the most competitive races in free agency history, thus forcing Arizona and New York to scramble for other possible veteran solutions. It would make A.J. McCarron and Sam Bradford logical targets for these teams, each hoping to secure a Cousins commitment and thus more security at American sports’ premier position. However, the Jets are eyeing Teddy Bridgewater as a Plan B at this juncture.

This deal coming to fruition would obviously represent a seismic turn of events taking place. Cousins’ shorter-term pact would potentially put him back on the market after his age-32 season. It also could be a massive domino for his peers.

A player being signed to a fully guaranteed contract opens the door, at the very least, to other quarterbacks being able to demand the same kind of agreement. Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan are two beneficiaries on the surface. Each has achieved more than Cousins and is either already in talks with this team (Rodgers) or entering a contract year (Ryan). This could also potentially blaze a trail for players at other positions in high-leverage situations to be able to command similar accords, striking a major blow for the labor force in the nation’s most popular sport — a group that sees its MLB and NBA peers lap it when it comes to guarantee percentages.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Vikings To Host Kirk Cousins

March 13th, 2018 at 10:13am CST by Dallas Robinson

[UPDATE: The Vikings are likely to sign Cousins to a three-year, fully guaranteed deal. Click here for details.]

The Vikings will be the first team to meet with free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, and are in the “driver’s seat” to sign him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Minnesota has offered Cousins a three-year deal with a $28MM annual salary, per Rapoport.

Cousins will meet with the Vikings brass and have dinner on Wednesday night, tweets Rapoport. On Thursday, he’ll take a tour of the Vikings’ brand new facility. Given that his visit in Minnesota is expected to last until Thursday, other teams with interest in Cousins may not get a seat at the table until later this week.

The Vikings have long been considered a prime contender to land Cousins, and their need for a quarterback only increased this morning when Case Keenum reportedly agreed to a deal with the Broncos. Incumbent options Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford are also unrestricted free agents.

Cousins, meanwhile, has drawn interest from clubs such as the Jets, Cardinals, and Broncos, but some reports indicated New York and Minnesota were his only serious suitors. Denver, clearly, is no longer in the running after inking Keenum, and while the Jets boast far more cap space than the Vikings, Minnesota can offer a better team and offensive weapons.

While a $28MM annual salary would make Cousins the highest-paid player in NFL history, it would be a somewhat disappointing total, as most expected Cousins to collect $30MM per year. Of course, we don’t any details about the structure or guarantees of Minnesota’s offer, so it’s possible the potential deal is stronger than the yearly average would indicate.

Latest On Cardinals, QB Kirk Cousins

March 12th, 2018 at 5:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite reports that only the Vikings and Jets are strongly pursuing Kirk Cousins, the Cardinals have “serious” interest in the free agent quarterback, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Arizona has been considered one of the “final four” suitors for Cousins, alongside Minnesota, New York, and Denver. Interestingly, Cousins’ sister lives in the Phoenix area, and a desire to be near family could potentially factor into Cousins’ decision, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

At least two teams have reportedly offered Cousins a three-year, fully guaranteed contract, but it’s unclear if the Cardinals are one of those clubs. Arizona lags behind the Jets, Vikings, and Broncos with just $19MM in current cap space, so general manager Steve Keim would need to get creative in order to land Cousins, who is expected to command at least $30MM annually.

The Cardinals don’t currently have a quarterback on their roster: Carson Palmer announced his retirement earlier this offseason, while Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert, and Matt Barkley are each unrestricted free agents.

Only Two Teams Showing “Serious Interest” In Kirk Cousins?

March 12th, 2018 at 4:43pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been reported that Kirk Cousins is atop several teams’ wish list, but could there only be two teams that are “seriously” pursuing the quarterback? That’s what ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio is hearing, as league sources tell him that the Jets and Vikings are the only two teams to have shown “serious interest” in the free agent. This would somewhat echo a report from earlier today that indicated that there are “at least two teams” in pursuit of Cousins.

Florio notes that other teams may have “made a phone call and/or placed a ballpark number on the table.” However, it’s believed that the Jets and Vikings are the only two serious candidates for Cousins’ services.

We previously heard that Cousins wasn’t expected to make a decision until the new league year begins on Wednesday. However, if it’s true that two teams have put offers on the table, a signing could realistically be announced at any time. It was reported earlier that at least one team was going to offer a deal that was nearly fully-guaranteed, and our own Ryan Posner wrote earlier today that Cousins could receive a deal that approaches $60MM in the first year.

The Vikings are currently armed with $47.6MM in cap room, while the Jets now have a league-high $92MM in space. The Vikings are reportedly in the “driver’s seat” for Cousins, and the organization has made signing the quarterback a “top priority.”

The 29-year-old Cousins finished last season having completed 64.3-percent of his passes for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

Extra Points: Cousins, Smith, Gotsis

March 12th, 2018 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now that he’s going to be departing as a free agent, Kirk Cousins compiled a farewell letter aimed at Redskins fans. However, did Cousins give away his possible destination in the tags portion of his open letter? The earliest version of the quarterback’s published post had “Jets” and “Vikings” as tags, among many other entries, Will Brinson of CBS Sports tweets. So, either the person responsible for operating the tags forgot to leave those out, or has Cousins’ list been narrowed down to two? Of the serious suitors, the Vikings and Jets would make the most sense to be the teams offering a fully guaranteed contract. None of those teams ready to make those offers have been identified. The Broncos and Cardinals do not have as much cap space, though, perhaps making such a proposal dicey. But no finalists have yet to emerge.

Here’s the latest from around the league on Tampering Day 1:

Cousins’ old team is ready to commit plenty of guaranteed money to another quarterback. Alex Smith‘s four-year, $94MM Redskins deal is soon to become official, and the contract contains guarantees that surpass Jimmy Garoppolo‘s. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) Smith’s deal includes $55MM guaranteed at signing and $71MM fully guaranteed by the start of the 2019 league year. Those figures are almost what Matthew Stafford earned with the Lions on his 2017 extension and more than Garoppolo’s 49ers deal. Garoppolo remains the clubhouse leader with $27.5MM AAV, but that contract is light on guarantees compared to other recent re-ups. And Cousins’ contract could well blow those agreements out of the water and represent a seismic shift in NFL contracts, should it indeed be a fully guaranteed deal.
Broncos defensive end Adam Gotsis was arrested on rape charges stemming from an alleged 2013 incident while he was a student at Georgia Tech, Kirk Mitchell and Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post report. Gotsis surrendered on the charge of strong-arm rape at the Fulton County Jail and was released upon paying a $50K bond, the Denver Post duo reports. Gotsis, who the Broncos drafted in the second round in 2016, has been accused of overcoming the will of a 25-year-old woman in March 2013. The Australia native became a starter for the Broncos last season. “We were recently informed of an investigation into an alleged incident involving Adam Gotsis that occurred in 2013 when he was in college. Our organization was aware of his arrest on March 7, and it is our understanding that no determination has been made at this time as to whether any charges will be filed,” the Broncos said in a statement. “The Broncos take an accusation of this nature very seriously and will continue to closely monitor the legal proceedings.”

Latest On Kirk Cousins

March 12th, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Ryan Posner

At least two teams in pursuit of quarterback Kirk Cousins are set to offer the soon-to-be free agent a three-year, fully guaranteed contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport also reported that there was one more team that’s expected to offer a deal that would nearly be fully guaranteed, keeping Cousins on track to soon become the highest paid quarterback in the league.

Cousins wasn’t expected to agree to a new deal until the new league year begins on Wednesday. But with the “legal tampering” period beginning Monday, and two fully-guaranteed deals reportedly on the table, that could certainly change. It’s been suggested that Cousins could earn up to $60MM in the first year of a deal, given a team’s willingness to move around money and available cap space.

The Vikings have $47.6MM in open cap space, with the Broncos at $23MM and the Cardinals at $20.2 MM. The Jets overtook the Browns as the league leaders in cap room over the weekend and have around $92MM in available space.

The Vikings are still believed to be in the “driver’s seat” to sign Cousins, per Rapoport (Twitter link), and he’s expected to take 1-2 visits before deciding on a new team. Minnesota was one of four teams which was reported last week to be a finalist for Cousins’ services, also including the Jets, Cardinals and Broncos.

It was reported Sunday that the Vikings were set to make adding Cousins a top priority this offseason, holding off on other moves until they figure out if he’ll be under center for them. Minnesota has options if it were to miss out on Cousins, with its three quarterbacks on last year’s roster — Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford — all due to become free agents.

Vikings Notes: Cousins, Forbath, Johnson

March 11th, 2018 at 6:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Kirk Cousins appears to be atop the Vikings offseason wish list. Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com writes that the organization will “go hard” after the free agent quarterback, adding that negotiations with their 13 unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents are on hold until the front office understands how much they’ll need to commit to a signal-caller.

The 29-year-old Cousins finished last season having completed 64.3-percent of his passes for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. If the Vikings fail in their pursuit of the former Pro Bowler, they can turn their focus to any of the other three quarterbacks they were rostering in 2017: Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater, or Sam Bradford.

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of Minnesota, all via Tomasson…

The Vikings want to re-sign kicker Kai Forbath, but the team has yet to make an offer to the veteran. The 30-year-old, who earned $775K last season, had one of the best seasons of his career with Minnesota in 2017. Forbath converted 32 of his 38 field goal attempts, and he made 34 of his 39 extra point tries.
The front office still hasn’t decided what tender they’ll place on restricted free agent offensive guard Nick Easton, but they want him back in 2018. A former undrafted free agent out of Harvard, the 25-year-old has started 17 of his 23 games over the past two seasons with the Vikings. Tomasson notes that the team is unlikely to tender restricted free agent running back Bishop Sankey or offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles.
There’s no guarantee that defensive tackle Tom Johnson will be back with the team next season. Tomasson notes that Minnesota is willing to pay the 33-year-old, but his return will “depend on other offers he might get.” The writer also writes that Johnson asked for a one-year, $4MM extension last season, but the Vikings ultimately balked. Johnson started 15 of 16 games last season, compiling 32 tackles and two sacks.

Kirk Cousins No Longer Planning Visits?

March 11th, 2018 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the legal tampering period less than 24 hours away, Kirk Cousins’ destination is the centerpiece storyline of free agency. And it’s possible this process could wrap up quickly.

Once expected to take at least one visit, Cousins may now use the traditional route for high-value free agents and agree to a deal without trekking to facilities. Diana Russini of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) the 29-year-old quarterback is not planning to make any visits.

Russini adds that it may be down to a three-team race. The Vikings, Jets and Cardinals are “lobbying hard” and putting together recruiting pitches and video presentations for Cousins. Russini does not mention the Broncos here. Denver currently holds more cap space than Arizona but lags behind Minnesota and New York, and it’s possible John Elway could opt for a cheaper option despite the franchise being heavily linked to Cousins throughout the offseason.

These four teams were mentioned as the finalists for Cousins last weekend, and earlier this week, it was reported Cousins had not ruled out anyone just yet. The thinning-out process may be commencing in this high-stakes race.