There was comfort in having Cousins. Minnesota always knew that they’d have solid, steady quarterback play.
That was reassuring even if the Vikings had to realize that reaching a Super Bowl with Cousins was never going to happen.
They had more losing seasons (three) in the six-year Cousins era than playoff appearances (two).
That wasn’t all Cousins’ fault, and even if he wasn’t taking the Vikings where they wanted to go, he was safe.
That’s why Minnesota kept reworking his contract.
The Vikings still tried to hold the relationship together when Cousins was set to hit free agency.
The Vikings made an offer.
But eventually they had to let go when the Atlanta Falcons offered a four-year, $180 million deal (Cousins reportedly also wanted to leave after the Vikings told him of their plans to draft a QB … what a surprise Cousins would have weeks later with the Falcons).
It was the right thing for the Vikings to do.
It also meant the Vikings had to step out of a comfort zone and enter the uncertainty of not knowing who their quarterback would be in 2024.
So many times NFL teams settle and pay average quarterbacks because they’re worried about what comes next, even if they know that quarterback isn’t really the answer.
When you dump an average quarterback and spend a season losing with a bad quarterback, people get fired.
When you wonder why front offices pay too much for this or that quarterback who clearly isn’t worth the contract, that’s the reason.
