The Minnesota Vikings will probably see some form of fairness in the NFL’s tampering case against the Atlanta Falcons involving Kirk Cousins, but they probably won't gain from it.
Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune wrote a mailbag on Tuesday, May 7 and explained a common “misconception” among some reports that the league will require a pick exchange between the Vikings and Falcons as punishment for the alleged tampering.
Whatever the punishment, I don’t believe it will directly impact the Vikings beyond possibly moving up a draft spot because the Falcons had to forfeit a pick or two.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed that the league’s investigation is ongoing. There is precedent to believe a punishment would solely impact the Falcons, like how the [Miami] Dolphins forfeited multiple draft picks after the league found they tampered with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Sean Payton.
There seems to be a misconception that the Vikings could swap picks because that’s what the [Arizona] Cardinals and [Philadelphia] Eagles did for a tampering case over Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. However, the Cardinals self-reported the violation and the two teams worked out a resolution. In this case, Cousins indicated at a news conference that he’d communicated with Falcons officials before it was allowed.
Vikings Told Kirk Cousins They Would Likely Choose QB Early in NFL Draft
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins, previously with the Minnesota Vikings.
A recent report from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed that the Vikings informed Cousins they planned to draft a quarterback in 2024, which seems to have contributed to his desire to switch teams, along with the amount of money Atlanta was willing to offer/guarantee in his new deal — $180 million over four years with $90 million fully guaranteed, according to Over The Cap.
However, Cousins couldn’t avoid the looming threat of a rookie QB chosen within the top 10 by leaving Minnesota for Atlanta, as the Falcons surprised everyone by selecting former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in late April.
“I would 100% understand if Kirk Cousins is still stinging a bit from the whole ordeal. Here’s why — a reason he decided to leave Minnesota is because the Vikings were very up front with the 35-year-old about the possibility that, even in the case he stayed, they’d take a quarterback of the future high in the draft,” Breer wrote. “Tying that together with the [Vikings’] willingness to guarantee part, but not all, of a second year on another contract, Cousins figured that, if he stayed, there was a good shot that he’d be on the move in 2025.”
As it turns out, the Vikings were at least honest with the QB about their intentions, while Cousins was as surprised as anyone else that the Falcons reached for Penix with the 8th pick.
Vikings Enter New Era With Quarterback J.J. McCarthy
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Ultimately, Atlanta will face a significant penalty if the NFL finds the franchise did, indeed, tamper with Cousins — Minnesota just won’t be the recipients of that discipline in any meaningful way.
That being said, the Vikings got their man in McCarthy with the 10th overall pick and didn’t need to trade any first-round assets (other than the 11th pick) to make that happen. All things considered, that is a big win for the franchise.
Minnesota brass has made clear they won’t rush McCarthy into a starting role, which could mean a full year of Sam Darnold under center. But sooner than later, the McCarthy era will begin in Minneapolis, perhaps around the same time that Cousins’ time in the NFL draws to a close.
