Kirk Cousins was entering the final year of his contract with the Minnesota Vikings, but the team has made it clear that they want him to remain their starting quarterback well beyond that.
On Monday, Cousins’ agent Mike McCartney announced that the 31-year-old has signed a two-year extension with the Vikings.
Congrats to @KirkCousins8 on agreeing to a 2 year extension with the @Vikings
— Mike McCartney (@MikeMcCartney7) March 16, 2020
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the extension is worth $66 million over the two new seasons.
For the #Vikings and QB Kirk Cousins, it’s a 2-year deal worth $66M, source said. In all, it’s 3 years, $96M. $61M guaranteed at signing.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million contract with Minnesota prior to the 2018 season that was fully guaranteed. The deal at the time made him the highest-paid player in NFL history and the first QB to ever sign a fully guaranteed contract.
The goal for the Vikings all along was to get an extension done with Cousins before the start of free agency, as Cousins was set to carry a salary cap hit of $31 million in 2020. The new deal will likely allow Minnesota to spread some of that money out and give them more flexibility to sign other players.
Cousins had a bit of a down year last season, throwing for just 3,603 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, he did manage to change some of the narrative surrounding him that he can’t win the big game, and that likely went a long way toward the Vikings wanting to keep him around for a few more years.
