Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen among Vikings' high-priced veterans who could get traded?

The Vikings are looking to reset their cap, and their quarterback could end up being a casualty. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Vikings are “eager to move big contracts,” and it would not be a "surprise" if they end up moving on from Kirk Cousins.

With the Vikings changing regimes, the status of their four-year starting quarterback has understandably come up. Cousins carries the NFL’s third-highest 2022 cap hit at $45M, and he’s going into a contract year. If the organization is truly looking to reset its books, it’d make sense to move on from the veteran QB. It would help the Vikings a bit if Cousins agreed to another extension, which would allow the team to reduce his 2022 cap hit. However, Cousins’ camp hasn’t been receptive to that idea.

La Canfora also mentions wideout Adam Thielen, linebacker Eric Kendricks, defensive tackle Michael Pierce and even running back Dalvin Cook as sizable cap hits that the organization could look to move on from. These four players and Cousins represent five of the team’s seven highest cap hits, joining defensive end Danielle Hunter and safety Harrison Smith.

The Vikings entered the offseason with one of the worst cap situations in the NFL, so it’s not surprising that the team is looking to move around some money. Per OverTheCap.com, the Vikings are currently $15M over the cap, so moves are certainly coming.