The Minnesota Vikings fired Kirk Cousins, citing their fear of guaranteed money as the reason.

This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings will have to make some significant choices about the team’s quarterback position. Making a decision regarding Kirk Cousins will be the first step.

Throughout his six years in Minnesota, Cousins has shown to be among the finest starting quarterbacks in the NFL. However, the route forward was muddied by an Achilles tear sustained last year during what should have been a career year. Throughout his eight games, Cousins was outstanding. Even with the absence of standout wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins completed passes for 2,339 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. Taking into account the Vikings’ subpar running game, those are some really amazing figures. That works out to almost 4700 yards and 38 touchdowns over the course of a season.

That being said, Kirk Cousins is a free agent this offseason, having just recovered from one of the most serious injuries in sports at the age of 35.Without a doubt, this offseason, Kirk Cousins will receive a sizable guaranteed salary from someone. There are just too many teams that are in dire need of improving at quarterback. With the exception of twelve teams in the league, Kirk Cousins as he has played in recent years would undoubtedly be an improvement. It is noteworthy that Kirk Cousins will not be eligible to use the Franchise Tag by the Vikings this summer. However, according to a report by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Vikings are hesitant to offer Kirk Cousins a sizable guaranteed contract. That does make some sense, even though it looks hazardous. The team might definitely target a quarterback in the next NFL Draft, as they will have the 11th pick. By no means is the roster flawless. However, it seems like a very advantageous scenario for a rookie who was highly drafted. Additionally, they may improve the squad at other positions with the money saved by not having to pay Kirk Cousins and instead acquiring a quarterback on the rookie rate. Undoubtedly, the running game needs to be strengthened, particularly if a rookie quarterback is being used.

Even still, letting go of one of the league’s most reliable quarterbacks—who gets along well with Justin Jefferson—carries a significant risk. Undoubtedly, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah faces a difficult choice in this situation.