The Vikings cleared one of the big hurdles of their offseason on Monday morning, signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a two-year contract extension, according to his agent Mike McCartney.
According to a NFL source, Cousins receives a signing bonus of $30 million this season to go with a $10 million base salary, which should drop his 2020 salary cap number from $31 million to $21.5 million. The quarterback's $21 million base salary in 2021 is fully guaranteed, and his $35 million base salary in 2022 is currently guaranteed against injury only. The base salary would become fully guaranteed next year.
Cousins, who turns 32 in August, threw for 26 touchdowns against a career-low six interceptions in 2019, before leading the Vikings to an upset victory over the Saints in the NFC wild-card playoffs.
Negotiations on a new deal began earlier this offseason; with Cousins scheduled to make $29.5 million in guaranteed money in 2020, sources had indicated the Vikings would need to make a new deal worth his while for him to sign it, rather than expecting a discounted deal in a robust quarterback market. But Cousins agreed to his deal on Monday morning, a day after the Titans gave Ryan Tannehill a contract that averaged $29 million a year.
The Vikings also gave Anthony Harris the franchise tag Monday and re-signed fullback C.J. Ham.
