Vikings Begin Moving Forward without Kirk Cousins at QB (2024)

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Vikings Begin Moving Forward without Kirk Cousins at QB? ›

O'Connell got the job. Two years later, the Vikings set themselves up for a highwire task this offseason: Parting ways with Cousins and finding his short- and long-term replacements, all in the span of two months. They made Michigan's J.J. McCarthy

Why did Cousins decide to leave Minnesota after six seasons? There were reportedly a couple of reasons. For one, the Falcons were willing to guarantee more money for Cousins, but the Vikings' draft plan also reportedly played a part in Cousins looking for a new home.

Without Cousins

If the Vikings draft a quarterback they could look at the 2025 free agency period as the time to go all-in because Cousins will still carry a $28 million dead cap hit in 2024. In that case they could aim for players in free agency who are under 27 years old who could have serious upside.

The Vikings are signing Sam Darnold to replace Kirk Cousins, and Aaron Jones to replace Alexander Mattison. Just hours after the negotiating window opened on Monday, Cousins agreed to a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons with $100 million guaranteed.

After weighing the options, the Vikings and McCarthy decided on a full meniscus repair, ending his 2024 season completely. Though McCarthy was engaged in a quarterback battle with longtime veteran Sam Darnold, Darnold will now be the starter moving forward.

The Vikings restructured Cousins' deal a year ago without giving him any new money, adding four voidable years to flatten his salary cap hit. That move will stick with the Vikings with a $28.5 million salary cap hit in 2024, for the remaining signing bonus proration from his last extension in 2022.

"After significant and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to reach agreement on a contract that fits the short- and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement.

With the Kirk Kunundrum finally behind them, the Vikings need to identify a rookie quarterback they can develop, be aggressive if necessary and pull the trigger come Day 1 of the draft. In the meantime, they have reached a deal with veteran Sam Darnold to be their bridge to that future pick.

A range of evidence indicates that Viking-Age Scandinavian societies practised both polygyny, meaning that men could take multiple wives, and concubinage — a semi-formal relationship in which men and women engage in sexual activity and sometimes cohabit without marrying.

Kirk Cousins contracts

He inked a two-year, $66 million deal that ran through 2022 before signing a one-year, $35 million extension through 2023. Here's a breakdown of what Cousins has made in each of his 12 NFL seasons. Cousins' new deal with the Falcons will pay him an average salary of $45 million per season.

Who will be the Vikings quarterback now? ›

California kid

Darnold later became the full-time starting quarterback for San Clemente where, as a senior, he racked up 3,000 passing yards and 39 touchdowns – along with 800 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Darnold was rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.

Other possibilities: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: If the Patriots stay at No. 3 and pick Maye after Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, the Vikings could pivot to McCarthy with a trade up to No. 4 or 5.

Waived LB Donovan Manuel. Released CB Joejuan Williams. Signed DL James Lynch.

Matt Corral is returning to the NFL to aid the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback plight. The Vikings have signed Corral, a 2022 NFL Draft third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, and placed J.J. McCarthy on season-ending injured reserve Friday.

Starting quarterbacks by season

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Warren Moon was the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback from 1994 to 1996. Daunte Culpepper was the Vikings' starting quarterback for six seasons from 2000 to 2005. Jim McMahon was the Vikings' starting quarterback for the 1993 season.

Cousins was not considered a top-10 quarterback at the time, but his contract would have placed him in an elite category. So the organization opted not to meet his requests. As a result, they've spent the next five offseasons seeking his replacement.

The Vikings reportedly wanted Cousins back, but it had to be on terms that they were comfortable with. They clearly didn't budge on their offer, so Cousins took a better deal to join the Falcons.

The land in Scandinavia was becoming poorer and poorer. The people did not understand about putting manure on the land to make it fertile. In order to avoid starving they had to leave to find better land elsewhere.

Cousins didn't join a reclamation project for the sake of a money grab—these Falcons are ready to take the next step and should give him the chance to helm a contender for the duration of his career. New Falcons coach Raheem Morris was in Washington for the first three years of then-Redskins QB Kirk Cousins' career.