Kirk Cousins Contract Eyed by Vikings GM in NFL Free Agency: 'Certainly My Intention'

Ahead of his impending free agency, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins has made it no secret that he hopes to remain with the Minnesota Vikings, and the feeling reportedly is mutual.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made it clear that he hopes to re-sign Cousins this offseason.

"I think I've been pretty consistent with that," Adofo-Mensah said. "I thought we were was playing pretty good football before he got injured [in Week 8]. It's the most important position in sports. Now, ultimately it always comes down to, 'Can you find an agreement that works for all sides,' and all those things. But as a player, it's certainly my intention to have him back here."

Earlier this week, Cousins said his approach to free agency this time around is that "structure is probably more important" than money.

"Everything that isn't the dollars. That stuff you also work through," he said when asked what he considered as "structure."

Seifert noted that Cousins had multiyear guarantees in all three of his previous contracts with the Vikings. Adofo-Mensah was asked about the possibility of giving the veteran a contract that is guaranteed through 2025 and beyond, but he didn't indicate as to how he plans to approach negotiations.

"At the end of the day, you're just taking risks," Adofo-Mensah said. "We'll try to measure it the best we can to protect ourselves and ensure against it, and on his side, he's trying to take less risks. That's his job. They should do that. We'll try to find a place in the middle and see where we end up."

Cousins, who is turning 36 in August, suffered a ruptured Achilles in Week 8 that ended his season. However, he was performing at a high level before he went down. At the time of his injury, he led the NFL with 18 touchdowns and ranked second with 2,331 passing yards.

Cousins the a no-franchise-tag clause in his contract, so it'll be interesting to see if the Vikings can keep him around and avoid losing him to the open market.