Minnesota Vikings’ star quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was let go by the Washington Commanders back in 2018, actually had a chance to go to the 49ers one year prior to that in 2017, but things didn’t really pan out well. While San Francisco tried their hardest, the Commanders just had different plans.
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Back in 2017, when Kyle Shanahan took the office as the 49ers’ head coach, he reportedly made a call to the Commanders, offering them the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft in exchange for Cousins. However, Washington didn’t even return a phone call from San Francisco when they had a chance to carry out the trade.
The Kirk Cousins Trade That Never Happened
Legendary coach Mike Shanahan has given the NFL world a kind of shock. It has come to light that the Washington Commanders had a golden opportunity to trade Kirk Cousins to the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle had made a bold move by offering Washington the No. 2 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft for Kirk Cousins. To everyone’s surprise, Washington never even bothered to return the call. Reflecting on the same, Kyle’s father Mike Shanahan told The Athletic’s Alec Lewis,
“He knew Kirk knew his system, and he knew the type of guy Kirk was,” Mike Shanahan said. “But (Washington) wouldn’t even return the phone call.”
Following this, the Washington Commanders made Cousins play on the franchise tag in 2017. The Commanders eventually lost him in 2018 when he signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. If the Commanders had returned Shanahan’s call, 49ers might have been a different franchise today.
Dance for Cousins at the Vikings?
This season could be make or break for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. The Vikings are stuck with an old roster while trying to carve out a team with new blood and vigor. Caught in this crossfire is Kirk Cousins who finds himself in an unusual position. He needs to go big this season or else, the Vikings might be done with him.
Cousins has already inked two contract extensions with the Minnesota Vikings since joining them in 2018. However, currently, the team has put fresh extension talks on pause. Needless to say, 2023 a crucial year for him. There’s also added pressure on Kirk to prove he’s the quarterback who can elevate the Vikings to Super Bowl contender status. It will be interesting to see how Cousins performs in the coming season.
