“Playing with Fire” as well as “a Dangerous Game.” NFL Analyst Warns Vikings

Because he’ll come out of Indianapolis knowing exactly what the Falcons and everyone else will pay, and it’ll be too late. I guarantee you. You have 10 days, Vikings. You have 10 days. The clock is ticking. You have 10 days. If you wait, Kirk will be gone. If you don’t want him, that’s okay. But if you want him, you need to get your asses moving.

The 10-day timeframe to complete the transaction has been reduced to one week, with the NFL scouting combine due to begin next Monday, February 26th. Cousins, who is coming off an Achilles injury in 2023, will reach free agency for the first time since signing with the Vikings in 2018. Since then, he has ensured that he always has guaranteed contracts in place.

Now, the Vikings must decide whether to give the soon-to-be 36-year-old quarterback another hefty contract or find a replacement. Cousins presently has $28.5 million in dead money that will be counted against the cap if the Vikings do not re-sign him before the new league year begins.

In addition to their lack of commitment to Cousins, Florio feels the Vikings will test Justin Jefferson’s patience. The talented wide receiver is still waiting for his contract extension, which many feel will be the richest contract awarded to a non-QB in NFL history.

The question is whether the Vikings will pay him that contract. Florio spoke with KFAN’s Paul Allen this week about Jefferson’s negotiations, suggesting that the star may have ran out of patience.

“They are playing with fire on numerous fronts, including Justin Jefferson, whose patience will soon run out. I can certainly guarantee that J.J. is very patient, but his patience will be tested, and the issue is the structure, not the bucks,” Florio told Allen.
Florio argues that the Vikings have refused to provide Jefferson an adequate amount of completely guaranteed money. “The Vikings are one of the few organizations who will not provide full guarantees beyond the first year of a contract for anyone other than Kirk Cousins. Florio emphasized that if you don’t create the same exception for Justin Jefferson, you’ll have a problem with him someday.
Jefferson missed seven games and a major piece of an eighth during the 2023 season, yet he still managed to reach 1000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his NFL career. He also surpassed Michael Thomas’ record for the most receiving yards in a player’s first four seasons.

Overall, the Vikings have some critical decisions to make this summer, and if Florio is correct, they must make them sooner rather than later.

Free agency formally begins on March 13th, with a 48-hour legal tampering period beginning March 11th. The Vikings are presently expected to have approximately $24.6 million in salary cap space.