Kirk Cousins is staying put in Minnesota through at least 2023.
The Vikings are signing Cousins to a one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed extension that puts him under contract through 2023, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. Minnesota later announced it had agreed in principle to an extension with Cousins.
Cousins gets a raise to $40 million in 2022 with $55 million payable by next March and a no-trade clause, Pelissero added. The new deal also allows Minnesota to save almost $14 million against the salary cap.
Although the Vikings had received trade interest in Cousins in recent weeks, new head coach Kevin O'Connell had been clear about wanting to work with the veteran passer, saying in mid-February that he anticipated Cousins "being a part of what we do."
A three-time Pro Bowler, with two of those selections earned during his four seasons with the Vikings, Cousins is coming off a season in which he threw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. However, the Vikings went 8-9 last year and failed to make the postseason for the third time in four seasons with Cousins under center.
Nonetheless, Cousins continues to break the bank. As noted by Pelissero, between two franchise tags during his time in Washington and three deals in Minnesota, Cousins has secured fully guaranteed contracts for eight straight seasons. And if the Cousins-O'Connell combo leads to a big 2022 season, Cousins might well be back working on another new deal around this same time next year.
