NFL Rumors: Insider names Kirk Cousins as the next big franchise QB to be traded
This past week in the NFL has been one of the craziest, with a lot of news revolving around the QB position. Reports speculate that Kirk Cousins could be on on the move next.
We've seen quarterbacks traded, surprise cuts, massive-extensions, and it's just the beginning of the off-season. In the coming weeks, a few more quarterbacks could be traded.
CBS insider Jason La Canfora spoke on Fantasy Dirt on SiriusXM, predicting that Kirk Cousins will be the next big-name quarterback that gets traded with the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks as possible suitors.
"I think the next big-name quarterback who gets moved is Kirk Cousins. He makes sense for the Colts and Seahawks," @JasonLaCanfora on Fantasy Dirt @SiriusXMFantasy
The quarterback carousel began this week with Aaron Rodgers deciding to stay in Green Bay, becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history. Quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to the Broncos and Carson Wentz was traded to the Commanders.
Yesterday, we found out that Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson won't be facing criminal charges for his ongoing legal matters. This should facilitate a trade soon. But before that happens, Kirk Cousins could be on the move.
Viking are open to trading QB Kirk Cousins
With the Falcons and Matt Ryan restructuring his contract for 2022, the Packers will presumably chop down Rodgers' $46.6 million cap hit for this season. This would have Cousins' cap hit this season's highest at $45 million.
Unlike other quarterbacks, there are reports that Cousins isn't open to taking a pay cut, which gives the Vikings more of a reason to try to move him. If the Vikings can successfully trade him, they would create $35 million in cap space.
With Matt Ryan's contract restructured and a new deal coming (we think) for Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins is poised to enter 2022 with the highest cap charge in the league, at $45.166 million. And he has shown no inclination to reduce it. wp.me/pbBqYq-cdU4
Two teams that make sense for a Cousins trade are the Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts have the most cap-space in the league with $69 million and the Seahawks have the fourth-most with $45 million according to overthecap.com. Both the Colts and Seahawks will be looking for a new franchise quarterback, and Cousins has been a consistent top-10 quarterback the last few years.
He is a three-time pro-bowler who led the league in completion percentage in 2015 and has a 59-59-2 career record.
Minnesota signed their quarterback in 2018 to a fully guaranteed three-year contract worth $84 million, which was the first fully guaranteed and, as of the signing, the highest paying contract in NFL history.
He brought the Vikings to the playoffs just once in his time in Minnesota in 2019 with a victory over the New Orleans Saints.