Going into the 2024 offseason, the discussion surrounding the Minnesota Vikings was firmly on what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would keep Kirk Cousins on the roster for the long-term.
The Vikings had a decent amount of success with Cousins, especially under head coach Kevin O'Connell, who found a way to maximize him like he does every quarterback that starts for him.
Brock Purdy extension reminder why Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy
Ultimately, the Vikings chose to move on from Cousins, absorbing $28.5 million in dead salary cap in the process. It was a move the Vikings wanted to make for flexibility purposes, and it gave them a ton this offseason, which they used to beef up the trenches
One of the reasons that the Vikings didn't want to pay Cousins long-term was they weren't getting elite play out of him while paying elite money. It was a gutsy move to enter the NFL Draft without a proven option at quarterback, but Sam Darnold hit in a big way and they picked J.J. McCarthy in the process.
They got a nice reminder of how why they chose to move on from Cousins on Friday when the San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive extension.
With how the salary cap is currently situated, paying a non-elite quarterback elite level money is a bad bet to make. Teams that don't have that player are currently struggling to field a more complete team around them. Look at how the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys are struggling to fortify the roster with fringe top-10 level quarterbacks.
That's where the Vikings come in. They saw the writing on the wall with Cousins, especially considering his age, and let him walk. He ended up signing a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million fully guaranteed. That's a huge amount for Cousins, and he didn't even finish his first season as the starter.
The Vikings chose to take McCarthy at 10th overall, who they are paying around $5 million per season. It's a big gamble to take that McCarthy will be worth the selection, let alone the extension. However, the potential payoff of that working will be substantial.
With the talent that McCarthy possesses, a massive contract would be in the cards if he plays well enough, as his arm talent is plus and he has some elite level traits. The 49ers giving Purdy that kind of money is a great story, but he doesn't possess any of those athletic gifts, which is why he was selected at 255th overall, becoming Mr. Irrelevant. Investing in a player who has those kinds of athletic gifts is important, as those elements are vital to being a quarterback who elevates an offense, which is why teams pay quarterbacks big money.
The Vikings played it smart by moving on from Cousins, as they would be in the same position as the 49ers are currently in: overpaying an average quarterback. Right now, they are about to reap the rewards of that small contract.
