Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins sounds prepared to enter the final year of his contract without receiving any guarantees beyond 2023. 

“I think we’ll probably talk about the contract next March,” Cousins told reporters Wednesday, as shared by Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “Until then, [we’ll] just focus on this season and the job to do right now.” 

The Vikings restructured Cousins’ contract for salary-cap purposes in March, and both head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hinted the following month that the club could potentially trade up in the draft order to acquire the 34-year-old’s eventual replacement. Minnesota declined to make such a bold move but did select Jaren Hall of the BYU Cougars with a fifth-round choice. 

Per Saivion Mixson of Vikings Wire/USA Today, former NFL safety and current ESPN personality Ryan Clark said during Tuesday’s edition of the “NFL Live” program that he’s convinced the Vikings know that Cousins isn’t the right quarterback to guide the team on a lengthy playoff journey. 

Back in April, NFL insider Mike Florio reported there was “chatter” at the scouting combine about Cousins possibly being traded to the San Francisco 49ers before the 49ers ultimately received positive updates about the recovery of 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy. 

Cousins possesses a 1-3 record across his career postseason starts and is a mixed bag as it pertains to personal stats. According to ESPN, he finished this past regular season ranked fourth with 4,547 passing yards and tied for fifth with 29 passing touchdowns. 

He was also 23rd among eligible players with a 49.9 adjusted QBR and 14th with a 92.5 passer rating. Only Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Davis Mills of the Houston Texans tossed more interceptions (15) than Cousins (14). 

Additionally, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus mentioned last week that Cousins is sixth among quarterbacks with an 87.1 passing grade over the past three seasons. That would indicate Cousins can win on the biggest stages when at his best, but his record shows his best often disappears when teams need it the most.