AP source: Vikings convert Cousins bonus, clear $16M off cap
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) takes part in drills during the NFL football team's training camp in Eagan, Minn., Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings reached an agreement with quarterback Kirk Cousins on Tuesday to change bonus language in his existing contract that cleared $16 million from their salary cap for 2023, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiation.
The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce it.
Cousins will enter his sixth season with the Vikings, currently without a commitment from the club beyond that. His base salary this year is $10 million. His cap charge will now be $20.25 million, including the prorations from two different bonuses.
He had a $20 million roster bonus due next week, but this conversion and the accompanying addition of two more void years allowed the Vikings to spread that money evenly on their cap at $4 million annually over five years. The extension Cousins got a year ago came with a $25 million signing bonus and two void years to spread that money evenly at $6.25 million from 2022-25.
So while Cousins now has four automatically voidable years after this on his deal, those are merely accounting mechanisms. He remains on an expiring contract, set to hit the market in 2024, unless the two sides strike an extension sometime in the coming year.
The Vikings dived into the open market on Monday by reaching agreements with tight end Josh Oliver and defensive end Marcus Davenport.
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