Kirk Cousins, Vikings Rumored to 'Certainly' Have Mutual Interest

There are several potential destinations for quarterback Kirk Cousins as he finally approaches free agency, and the Minnesota Vikings could be a strong fit.

Gil Brandt of NFL.com predicted the Vikings to be his landing spot, saying there is "certainly interest on both sides."

Cousins has spent the first six years of his career with the Washington Redskins but should get a chance to test the market after the team acquired Alex Smith as his replacement.

While the Redskins could consider using the franchise tag on Cousins for the third straight season to help dictate his future, the quarterback will file a grievance with the league if that happens, according to the Washington Post's Kimberley A. Martin.

The 29-year-old should have plenty of options on the open market, including the Broncos, Jets and Cardinals, but he reportedly wants to go to a team that can win now, as Benjamin Allbright of Mile High Sports explained:

Minnesota qualifies after going 13-3 last season with an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. The squad had the No. 1 defense in the NFL and could be even more dangerous with more consistency at quarterback.

Last year's predominant starter, Case Keenum, is set to enter free agency as well with the team not expected to franchise-tag him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Sam Bradford will also be a free agent this offseason, while Teddy Bridgewater's situation still muddled. He is due for free agency, but his contract could toll for another year due to injuries, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted. Even if he remains under team control, he has only thrown two passes in a game since 2015.

Meanwhile, Cousins has over 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons and could be the missing piece to bring a championship to Minnesota.