Extend Cousins or ... ?

Why the 49ers say yes

It's not crazy to suggest that Cousins' presence on this 49ers team would have them entering the upcoming Super Bowl as favorites over the Chiefs. They had the best defense in the NFL this season by every major statistic, featuring impressive depth and a trio of first team All-Pros in Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanga. Their offense has star power all over the place with Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and others. It's a roster that is absolutely right there with the Eagles and Chiefs, talent-wise.

Shanahan coached one of the league's most efficient offenses and won 15 games (including playoffs) with a combination of Lance, Garoppolo, and Purdy at quarterback. Imagine what he could do with Cousins, a highly-accurate QB generally considered to fall into the top 10-15 range at the position — a clear step up from Garoppolo.

Just as important as Cousins' talent is his durability. He has never missed a game due to injury in eight years as a starter in the NFL. Cousins took more hits than any other quarterback this year and never came close to missing any time. He takes care of his body extremely well in the offseason and knows how to avoid dangerous hits on the field.

Cousins has his warts, but he would bring accuracy, stability, and toughness to the 49ers' offense. He's obviously enjoyed playing with Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Stefon Diggs in Minnesota, but it feels like a safe bet that he would put up career numbers in Shanahan's offense with SF's weapons and offensive line.

Yes, Cousins comes with a big contract and costs the 49ers Lance in this scenario. But rather than waiting to see what Lance becomes or pinning their hopes on Purdy, it could make a lot of sense for the 49ers to go all-in with Cousins, even if it's just for the 2023 season.

Why the Vikings say yes

At some point, the Vikings need to prepare for life after Cousins, who turns 35 this year. His five seasons in Minnesota have shown that he's a talented quarterback who can put up big numbers, but they've also proven that he isn't close to the elite tier at the position. Cousins won more games than ever this season with Kevin O'Connell as his coach and displayed a willingness to trust his playmakers more down the field, but his conservative tendencies reared their ugly head on his fourth down checkdown that ended the Vikings' season.

The bigger conundrum with Cousins is his contract. Since signing a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million deal in 2018, he's inked two short-term extensions to keep him with the Vikings. In 2023, the final year of his current deal, his cap hit is $36.25 million. Paying a quarterback that much makes it difficult to fill out the rest of the roster around him unless you consistently hit on draft picks, which the Vikings haven't done. There's also the issue of upcoming extensions for Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson and Christian Darrisaw and how they'd fit alongside another Cousins contract.

Acquiring Lance would be an upside play for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Marshall, MN native and former NDSU star wasn't picked third overall two years ago for no reason. His athletic tools and arm talent give him a lot of potential, even two years removed from being drafted. The hype around Lance has died down for obvious reasons, but four regular season games and 263 total snaps shouldn't be enough to change his outlook all that much. There's still a chance he breaks out in his third year. If the Vikings did this deal, they'd be banking on that happening.

Trading Cousins for Lance would clear up cap space both in 2023 and beyond, allowing the Vikings to build up their roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They'd have a young, high-upside player who theoretically fits the modern QB mold as someone who can make plays in the pocket and also create outside of structure with his athleticism. And even though Lance was drafted two years ago, he still has two more years on his rookie contract, plus the fifth-year option.

Going from Cousins to Lance could mean taking a step back in 2023 — particularly if the Vikings move on from several other high-priced veterans this offseason — but maybe that's a necessary step. Instead of running it back with Cousins this year, the Vikings would be turning their focus towards reaching a higher ceiling in 2024.