Report: Minnesota Vikings Extend Contract of QB Kirk Cousins

The Minnesota Vikings won’t be trading Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins this off-season as they’ve agreed to extend his contract through the 2023 season, according to a report by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The #Vikings are signing Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins to a one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed extension that puts him under contract through 2023, per sources.

Cousins gets a raise to $40 million in 2022, $55 million payable by next March and a no-trade clause.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 13, 2022

Cousins was set to receive $35 million in cash this upcoming season and count $45 million against the cap. The new deal lowers his cap hit to $31.25 million this year by extending him through 2023 and adding voidable years in 2024 and 2025.

Cousins is now set to make $70 million over the next two years, all of which is fully guaranteed. He’ll make $40 million this year and $30 million next year with $50 million set to be paid out by mid-March 2023. The Vikings were over the $208.2 million cap by $17 million dollars prior to Cousins’ extension.

The move also seeming takes the Vikings out of the running for acquiring a quarterback this offseason, which could have happened if the team felt it needed to cut or trade Cousins to get under the salary cap limit. The Vikings hold the No. 12 overall pick in next month’s selection.

Cousins is the third quarterback thought to possibly be moving this offseason to stick with his team. Fellow NFC North quarterback Aaron Rodgers decided to stay with Green Bay, while Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady announced on Sunday that he had changed his mind about retiring and will instead return to the Bucs.