Kirk Cousins Rumors: Vikings, QB Have Discussed New Contract: 'Nothing is Imminent'

The 2023 campaign may be the final one for Kirk Cousins on the Minnesota Vikings, but he and the team have reportedly held discussions about the future.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Sunday the two sides "had talks about a contract extension but nothing is imminent," which means "Cousins playing out the last year of his contract and heading toward free agency once again feels quite possible right now."

The veteran's contract status was a storyline ahead of the 2022 season until he signed a one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed extension that provided a $40 million in 2022 and kept him on the team through 2023 while helping the Vikings deal with the salary cap.

While Cousins' ceiling may be lower than a Super Bowl signal-caller, he has also been better than he gets credit for during much of his career.

His resume includes four Pro Bowl selections and seven seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards, including in 2022 when he completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Minnesota won the NFC North at 13-4 with the Michigan State product under center, although it lost in the wild-card round to the New York Giants.

It was another postseason defeat for Cousins, who is now 1-3 as a starter in the playoffs throughout his career. The record is a glimpse at the ceiling that could be in place with him compared to the next level of quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, among others, but the Vikings could also do much worse than his steady production.

Cousins will be 35 years old during the 2023 campaign, so having him play out the last year on his deal before inking him to an extension could be something of an insurance plan for the Vikings in case his play tails off as he ages.

But it is also a risk, as he could eventually end up signing elsewhere after an impressive 2023 effort if he builds on his 2022 season.

The team and player are surely weighing all of those factors as the discussions continue.