If the Vikings move on from Kirk Cousins with that possibility looming, these three NFL teams could be begging him to play QB for them.
As many Minnesota Vikings fans have hoped for over the past few years, it seems as if Kirk Cousins' time in the Twin Cities might be coming to a close.
On Wednesday, reports indicated that Vikings owner Mark Wilf wouldn't commit to Cousins beyond the upcoming 2023 season as the veteran quarterback enters the final year of his contract in Minnesota. At 35 years old and with his track record, it's understandable why that would be the case.
Cousins has been maligned for his shortcomings in big moments, particularly in primetime games, and an inability to completely elevate a talented roster to truly contending. At the same time, though, this is a guy who has thrown for at least 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in all but the 2019 season over five years to this point with the Vikings. That's something many NFL teams would be knocking down the door to try and sign.
And if the Vikings move on from their QB and hit the reset button there, I suspect that will in fact be the case. Specifically, these potential Kirk Cousins landing spots might be begging the quarterback to come play for their team, letting him know they would, indeed, like that.
NFL Rumors: Kirk Cousins could save Terry McLaurin and Co. on the Commanders
Shockingly enough, people don't have a ton of confidence in a Washington Commanders offense heading into the 2023 season with either 2022 fifth-round pick Sam Howell or journeyman veteran Jacoby Brissett at the helm.
Maybe that actually works out. Washington has some phenomenal weapons with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson at wide receiver and Brian Robinson Jr. at running back. Moreover, Eric Bieniemy brings his Chiefs savvy as the new Commanders offensive coordinator — even if he's already ruffling feathers — that could work out well on the field.
I'm not holding my breath, though. With this offensive line and quarterback play, this might be one of the NFL's worst offenses. And that, in turn, could lead to Washington needing a new quarterback for the 2024 season.
Why not a return to Kirk Cousins? Dan Snyder is gone, virtually every meaningful figure who screwed over Cousins when he was previously with the organization is gone, and the fit just makes sense.
Cousins isn't going to make the Commanders a group of world-beaters. But to make them competent team that can work well offensively? He can surely do that. More importantly, getting that baseline of competency — something you could argue Washington has lacked at quarterback since, ironically, Cousins departed, could make the franchise more enticing for future free agents.
Again, the big hangup here would be that, if the Vikings move on from Cousins, he'll be a free agent. Is the taste in his mouth with Washington so bad that he wouldn't even consider a return even with the changes in regime? It's at least possible. But on paper, the franchise could very much use Cousins on offense — and finally be willing to pay him to make that happen.
NFL Rumors: Kirk Cousins could take over Patriots offense if Mac Jones stinks
We're still trying to decipher how exactly Bill Belichick thought that the combination of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge running the New England Patriots offense last season. Alas, it might be among the location of Atlantis as the great mysteries of the world. But we do know that the mistake has been remedied with the hiring of Bill O'Brien this offseason.
Say what you will about O'Brien's tenure as the head coach and general manager of the Houston Texans, as an offensive mind in the NFL, he's proven that he has the goods. But for the Patriots, that actually puts all of the pressure on Mac Jones.
Jones, to put it plainly, was tough to watch in his second pro season a year ago. He failed to hit 3,000 yards passing and had just 14 touchdown passes with 11 interceptions.
Even though New England used a first-round pick on Jones, there have been rumblings throughout the offseason that Belichick is unhappy with the returns on that investment. And this could perhaps be a last-ditch effort with the former Alabama quarterback this season with the change at coordinator along with adding to the wide receiver group with a headliner of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
If it doesn't work out, Belichick is no longer a spring chicken. He wants to compete and contend now. So if he doesn't believe Jones is the guy, then moving on to a veteran option would make sense. And Kirk Cousins would be the best possible option. In fact, he might also be the right option to get the Patriots back to relevancy in the loaded AFC East.
NFL Rumors: Would Raiders move on from Jimmy Garoppolo for Kirk Cousins?
Speaking of teams that could be less than thrilled with a (former) Patriots quarterback in their current situation, I can't shake the feeling that's where we're headed with the Las Vegas Raiders after they watch 17 games (or however many he actually stays healthy for) of Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2023 season.
Most people expected the Raiders to be inclined to aggressively pursue a quarterback in the draft this offseason. But ultimately, Josh McDaniel played into his comfort zone and went with Garoppolo, a quarterback who he's intimately familiar with from their time together in Foxboro.
But Garoppolo has been oft-injured in recent years, which is only the start of the issues. There are already reports that he's struggled with turnovers in training camp, which is coming against a Raiders secondary expected to be in the lower-quarter of the NFL, if not at the bottom alone.
Ultimately, as the Raiders are very much a franchise in flux, it seems that they could grow tired of the Jimmy G experiment quite rapidly. Though there is no guaranteed money on his contract after the 2024 season, Vegas could still save more than $12 million by cutting him next offseason.
This is a team that is at risk of wasting Davante Adams after they invested significantly in one of the NFL's best receivers a year ago. They certainly won't want to do that and, if Garoppolo whiffs mightily in the 2023 campaign, that could necessitate another change at the position.
Cousins, for his faults, is the ideal version of Jimmy G. He's safe with the football, can capitalize on playmakers, and can win football games. If that's an option that comes on the table, he'd be the best option for the Raiders to start finding some stability as they choose their future at quarterback.