NFL Rumors: Kirk Cousins Has No Intention of Taking Pay Cut in Vikings Contract Talks

If the Minnesota Vikings want to extend quarterback Kirk Cousins' contract, they can reportedly expect to pay top dollar to do so.

Per reporter Jordan Schultz, Cousins has "zero intention" of taking a pay cut, and an extension could cost the Vikings around $40 million per season.

The Vikings need to make some moves this offseason to get under the salary cap. They are $14.7 million over the 2022 cap, per Spotrac. 

Cousins has the highest 2022 cap hit on the team and the third-highest among NFL quarterbacks ($45 million). He is entering the final season of the two-year, $66 million extension he signed in 2020.

Xavier Woods, Tyler Conklin and Anthony Barr are among Minnesota's key free agents.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported Thursday that Cousins' camp could "try to force the Vikings' hand by not wanting to go back to the negotiating table just yet" to either play out his deal or force a trade.

New head coach Kevin O'Connell said during his introductory press conference Thursday that he is "excited to coach" Cousins in 2022:

"We've already started thinking about how we're going to build those systems for him and our other quarterbacks and really the tremendous skill group that we have, our guys up front. It takes all 11 to move the football on offense, to run it, to throw it, to score points in the red zone. But I'm anticipating Kirk being a part of what we do."

Cousins just finished his fourth season with the Vikings. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 16,387 yards and 124 touchdowns in 63 starts since 2018.

He ranked ninth in the NFL with 4,221 passing yards and 33 touchdowns in 2021. The Vikings finished second in the NFC North with an 8-9 record but missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.