![\"Kirk](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/GettyImages-1756719875-e1704756807217.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
<\/p>\nKirk Cousins\u00a0is embracing the concept of his free agency, but he isn\u2019t entering it hellbent on scratching out every lost dollar he can get.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Minnesota Vikings quarterback spoke to media members on Monday, January 8, one day after his team lost its regular season finale to the\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0to cap a disappointing 7-10 season. During his press conference, Cousins spoke candidly about his pending free agency and what is most important for him to gain from it.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams, so at this stage of my career, the dollars are really not what it\u2019s about,\u201d\u00a0Cousins said. \u201cI think it ultimately is about winning football games \u2014 and so that will be the most important thing, winning football games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cousins added that he believes he can accomplish that kind of winning in Minnesota.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually, you win football games because there are some other factors that are really important to me that are going to have to be there,\u201d Cousins said. \u201cThe factors work together, but I certainly believe we can do that here.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Kirk](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/GettyImages-1724598977-e1703833049303.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=782\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCousins has made $185 million over the past six years spread across three separate contracts with the Vikings, earning three Pro-Bowl berths during his his tenure in Minnesota. He has brought in nearly $232 million during his 12-year NFL career.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The QB earned\u00a0$35 million\u00a0of that total in 2023 after signing a one-year extension during the 2022 offseason, despite seeking a multiyear contract. Cousins sought a new deal ahead of this year as well,\u00a0offering to play on a \u201cdiscount\u201d\u00a0in exchange for a long-term agreement. Minnesota declined that offer, after which Cousins went on to play arguably the best football of his career through the first eight games.<\/p>\n
Cousins led the NFL in pass completions (216), attempts (311) and touchdowns (18) at the time of his Achilles injury against the\u00a0Green Bay Packers\u00a0on October 29. That injury knocked him out for the remainder of the season, which he finished with 2,331 yards and a 69.5% completion percentage, per\u00a0Pro Football Reference.<\/p>\n
Cousins intimated Monday that he had proven himself, and then some, since joining Minnesota and that he didn\u2019t plan to \u201csell himself\u201d to any suitor \u2014 be that suitor the Vikings or some other franchise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not gonna try to sell myself, if you will,\u201d Cousins explained. \u201cI kind of like to let people make their own decisions, because I do think that the league needs quarterbacks. And if you\u2019re trying to talk yourself out of a quarterback, I can\u2019t help you much.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Kirk](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1699167389-1-e1695642431178.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=782\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCousins has not just proven himself in general, he has proven himself a player who can achieve success under head coach\u00a0Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s\u00a0particular offensive scheme.<\/p>\n
Cousins has the kind of arm strength and accuracy (career 66.9% completion percentage) to push the ball downfield and take advantage of the Vikings\u2019 superior group of pass-catchers, which includes All-Pro wide receiver\u00a0Justin Jefferson, first-round rookie wideout\u00a0Jordan Addison\u00a0and Pro-Bowl tight end\u00a0TJ Hockenson.<\/p>\n
None of the Vikings\u2019 three other starters this season showed an ability to press the ball and protect it simultaneously, which puts Minnesota in a precarious position heading into 2024. The Vikings will select No. 11 in the upcoming NFL draft, though it is unlikely the team can procure one of the top three or four QB prospects without trading away significant assets to move up.<\/p>\n
As such, Cousins is the best option, even coming off of a serious injury and entering his age-36 season. If the QB is willing to play for less than the nearly\u00a0$40 million annually\u00a0Spotrac projects a team will offer him on the open market, the Vikings are primed to jump at that chance.<\/p>\n
Kirk Cousins\u00a0is embracing the concept of his free agency, but he isn\u2019t entering it hellbent on scratching out every lost dollar he can get. The\u00a0Minnesota Vikings quarterback… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nfl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78708\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}