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comet52 · 04-02-2026, 05:31 PM

(04-02-2026, 02:34 PM)purplefaithful Wrote: Kirko (rightly or wrongly) will forever be labeled by Viking fans as $ hungry and selfish about it above all else...He never shook that label.

I didnt buy into it too much until maybe the last contract where he had an optty to help the team with guaranteed $ and choose not to.

I never cared about Kirk's money. NFL careers are short and guys should get whatever teams are willing to shell out. I just found his play at times to be frustrating. But he actually became a little less of a dork and more likeable over time so there's that. But I had no interest in him returning and I don't think the Vikings did either.

IceRatz16 · 04-02-2026, 05:56 PM

(04-02-2026, 08:24 AM)StickierBuns Wrote: I mentioned this a bit ago as the perfect setup for the Raiders and Mendoza. Kirko will be the perfect bandaid/mentor at this point in his career.

Even better set up in MN...

*JimmyinSD* · 04-03-2026, 10:48 AM

(04-02-2026, 05:31 PM)comet52 Wrote: I never cared about Kirk's money. NFL careers are short and guys should get whatever teams are willing to shell out. I just found his play at times to be frustrating. But he actually became a little less of a dork and more likeable over time so there's that. But I had no interest in him returning and I don't think the Vikings did either.

kirks money only bothered me in that his high dollars made it harder to spend on other areas like OL that needed to be upgraded to protect his immobile ass. I have always maintained that if he would have left a little meat on the bone to be spent on OL and other upgrades, he would have been able to deliver much better overall team results.

We cant pay premium money to less than premium players, no matter how bad we need to fill a positional hole.

Zanary · 04-05-2026, 12:07 PM

(04-03-2026, 10:48 AM)JimmyinSD Wrote: kirks money only bothered me in that his high dollars made it harder to spend on other areas like OL that needed to be upgraded to protect his immobile ass. I have always maintained that if he would have left a little meat on the bone to be spent on OL and other upgrades, he would have been able to deliver much better overall team results.

We cant pay premium money to less than premium players, no matter how bad we need to fill a positional hole.

...a couple of points on that:

1. Teams with better records and higher-profile (and pay) QBs managed to protect better than we did, and defended better much of the time, too...so "Kirk's taking too much money" never added up, especially when the kids behind him shot past $40 million/season.

2. Kirko was top 2 in both TDs and yards when his tendon broke, and he'd produced pretty stellar numbers with his IOL among the worst; he was a premium player. Sadly, it takes the most premium team of any given season to actually win the Lombardi.

*JimmyinSD* · 04-05-2026, 04:57 PM

(04-05-2026, 12:07 PM)Zanary Wrote: ...a couple of points on that:

1. Teams with better records and higher-profile (and pay) QBs managed to protect better than we did, and defended better much of the time, too...so "Kirk's taking too much money" never added up, especially when the kids behind him shot past $40 million/season.

2. Kirko was top 2 in both TDs and yards when his tendon broke, and he'd produced pretty stellar numbers with his IOL among the worst; he was a premium player. Sadly, it takes the most premium team of any given season to actually win the Lombardi.

Premium QBs elevate those around them, Kirk didn't elevate the O. He wasn't shit, but he wasn't premium. In his prime I dont put him top 5 at his position.

Is it a coincidence that Brady took less and the team had unparalleled success? I dont think so.

Zanary · 04-05-2026, 05:34 PM

(04-05-2026, 04:57 PM)JimmyinSD Wrote: Premium QBs elevate those around them, Kirk didn't elevate the O. He wasn't shit, but he wasn't premium. In his prime I dont put him top 5 at his position.

Is it a coincidence that Brady took less and the team had unparalleled success? I dont think so.

Brady had a supermodel wife that potentially outearned him on a given year...something often forgotten. I saw that less as generosity than a specialized circumstance.

Hey, Kirk's agent is mercenary as f**k...but, the history of athletes burned on their deals is immense, too. I wasn't in the meetings, and neither were you. Obviously, it was seen as worthwhile by those that write the checks and shape the rosters.

Kirk set records with JJ, did great work with Thielen, Rudolph, Hock, and others, so...um...we disagree on the "elevate" thing.

*JimmyinSD* · 04-05-2026, 07:58 PM

(04-05-2026, 05:34 PM)Zanary Wrote: Brady had a supermodel wife that potentially outearned him on a given year...something often forgotten. I saw that less as generosity than a specialized circumstance.

Hey, Kirk's agent is mercenary as f**k...but, the history of athletes burned on their deals is immense, too. I wasn't in the meetings, and neither were you. Obviously, it was seen as worthwhile by those that write the checks and shape the rosters.

Kirk set records with JJ, did great work with Thielen, Rudolph, Hock, and others, so...um...we disagree on

Lol, ok. Cousins was so great that the Falcons immediately drafted a first round QB, he was never a guy you would choose to build a franchise around, he was just good, but never good enough. About the best thing you could say about him was he was tough as hell, but with his lack of mobility and penchant for holding the ball, he had to be.

greediron · Yesterday, 01:27 PM

(04-05-2026, 12:07 PM)Zanary Wrote: ...a couple of points on that:

1. Teams with better records and higher-profile (and pay) QBs managed to protect better than we did, and defended better much of the time, too...so "Kirk's taking too much money" never added up, especially when the kids behind him shot past $40 million/season.

2. Kirko was top 2 in both TDs and yards when his tendon broke, and he'd produced pretty stellar numbers with his IOL among the worst; he was a premium player. Sadly, it takes the most premium team of any given season to actually win the Lombardi.

That year really sucked. It kinda looked like everything was clicking. Kirk and KOC had a rapport, been together for a while. The defense was looking solid.

Zanary · 11 hours ago

(04-05-2026, 07:58 PM)JimmyinSD Wrote: Lol, ok. Cousins was so great that the Falcons immediately drafted a first round QB, he was never a guy you would choose to build a franchise around, he was just good, but never good enough. About the best thing you could say about him was he was tough as hell, but with his lack of mobility and penchant for holding the ball, he had to be.

Again, top 2 in both categories when he went down. We'd just beaten the same 49ers team that would be in that year's Super Bowl...

...so, yeah, "LOL" indeed.

Atlanta is now dealing with the young QB that we ALL knew was an injury risk. Kirko wasn't healed up in '24, that became painfully obvious, but I wouldn't be shocked if he did very good work with the Raiders.

Would I have built a franchise around him? If I'd had a club with a line that could protect a pocket passer, and he was in good health? Sure...but then again, my club would be about more balance than the KOC "pass pass pass pass run to confuse the defense" approach.