Kirk Cousins is expected to sign a contract with the Minnesota Vikings when free agency officially begins on Wednesday, and the structure of the deal should excite his fellow players.
According to multiple reports, Cousins is signing a three-year contract that is fully guaranteed, with the total value being around $86 million.
Kirk Cousins plans to sign a three-year, fully-guaranteed contract from the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2018
From earlier: Kirk Cousins got a 3-year, $86M or so fully guaranteed offer that he’ll likely sign after visiting the #Vikings. They believe they’ve got him. https://t.co/un7FKcgIfA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2018
By signing a fully guaranteed contract, Cousins has all the power. Jimmy Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford signed five-year deals with their teams that included almost the exact same amount of guaranteed money that Cousins is getting, but they won’t have the ability to become free agents as soon as all that money is paid out. Cousins, who is 29, will hit free agency again at age 32. Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin called Cousins a “hero” for the precedent he is setting.
Kirk Cousins is a hero for all the young players that will follow after him. Now we need more players to bet on themselves until fully guaranteed contracts are the norm and not the exception.
— Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) March 13, 2018
Unlike in the NBA and MLB, fully guaranteed contracts in the NFL are practically unheard of. That rubs many players the wrong way since the NFL is the most profitable sports league in the world, and injuries are far more rampant in football than basketball and baseball.
If the Vikings can guarantee Cousins every penny of his contract over three seasons, why shouldn’t an NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion like this guy demand the same type of deal? Baldwin and others are hoping Cousins has started a trend.
