The Denver Broncos need to get the QB position right for the present and for the long-term. Well, pending free agent Kirk Cousins might be the perfect fit for the Broncos. The Broncos apparently had some interest in Kirk Cousins back during his free agency tour in 2018. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings and has been with them since then.
He tore his Achilles about halfway through the 2024 NFL Season, which was brutal, as the QB is now set to be a free agent again. While there is a path for him to re-sign with the Vikings, other teams can surely make strong offers for Cousins, and I think he is going to entertain signing with another team. The Broncos could have interest in Cousins, but there is nothing to indicate that at this moment in time.
However, I think Kirk Cousins would be a perfect fit for the Denver Broncos in 2024. Here's why.
3 reasons why Kirk Cousins is perfect for the Denver Broncos in 2024
1. Sean Payton has worked with a mid-30s QB before
Kirk Cousins turns 36 years old in August, so he is set to enter his age-36 season in the NFL. While his age might be a bit scary to some, it should not be a deterrent for Sean Payton. Drew Brees' age-36 season was back in 2015. From 2015 through the end of his career, which was 2020, Brees threw for 175 touchdowns, 49 interceptions, a 106.5 passer rating, and the Saints went 55-30 during those starts.
In fact, the best statistical seasons of Brees' career came in his late-30s. Kirk Cousins is a similar passer to Brees in that both players are true pocket passers who can get the ball out quickly and who can play with an elite sense of rhythm and anticipation. Cousins fits Payton's offense like a glove, and given Payton's success with an older QB in Drew Brees, he probably thinks he could get similar production from a passer on the same career arc.
2. Kirk Cousins was on pace to have the best year of his career in 2023
Kirk Cousins was on pace to have an extremely prolific season through the air, and the Vikings' winning streak after their 1-4 start was fueled by insane play from Cousins. Over a full, 17-game season, Cousins in 2023 was on pace for the following numbers:
459/661, 4954 yards, 38 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 103.4 passer rating.
It's not like Kirk Cousins was declining. Many quarterbacks during their NFL careers had their best statistical season later during their time in the league. This is the case for guys like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and nearly Kirk Cousins. For the QB position, aging does not necessarily mean that the stats decline. At some point that does happen, but it's clear that 2023 was not going to be that year for Cousins.
And I understand why Cousins coming off an Achilles injury would worry some, but that injury was back in October, so Cousins realistically will have 10 months to recover from it. He should be ready for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season, and it's not like he sustained a brutal injury to his throwing arm or shoulder.
This was also the first notable injury of his career. The Denver Broncos would not be signing an injury-prone QB, and him being a true pocket passer also means he does not have to rely on his legs much to make plays.
3. Kirk Cousins' potential stay in Denver might be the perfect length
Even though I am advocating for signing Kirk Cousins in 2024, I am not necessarily saying the Denver Broncos need to keep him as the starting QB for the long-term, or as long as he can play well. Yes, I know that I didn't make a big deal with his age, but he is still turning 36 years old in 2024, so he is not going to be a seven-year solution under any circumstances.
Cousins playing as the QB for the Broncos, for, let's say, two seasons might be the perfect length and perfect amount of time for Sean Payton to acquire and develop a franchise QB. Furthermore, just look at the contracts he has signed in previous years;
In 2016 and 2017, he signed the one-year franchise tag contracts with the then Washington Redskins. In 2018, he signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, and in 2020, re-upped on a two-year deal with the team, which then sets him to be a free agent in 2023. Kirk Cousins has mastered the art of signing these shorter contracts to maximize his career earnings.
He never signed a contract that paid him more than $33 million per season, and I do not think he would get that much on a deal from any team in free agency. I could easily picture a scenario where the Denver Broncos extend something like a two-year, $60 million contract to Kirk Cousins and take a stab on a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft, perhaps someone like Tulane's Michael Pratt.
The contract would likely have an 'out' after one year, so it would not be a financially overbearing deal for the Broncos to make, and Cousins is probably still wanting a shorter contract like he has signed multiple times over the years. I think the timing with Kirk Cousins and a fit in Denver is almost too good to be true.