Kirk Cousins Offers Update on Future with Vikings
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was on pace to throw for 4,953 passing yards, 38 touchdown passes, and 11 interceptions in 2023.
But his breakneck clip was totally derailed on October 29th, lost for the season at Lambeau Field to an Achilles tear.
Kirk Cousins Offers Update on Future with Vikings
Cousins won’t return in 2023 and is scheduled to hit free agency in 2.5 months.
His contract and extension will dominate all things Vikings as soon as the purple team’s season ends, rest assured. And this week, he provided an early hint about his future. Long story short, Cousins remained consistent about his desire — he doesn’t want to leave the Vikings.
“I would love to be back in Minnesota. Hopefully, we can make that happen,” Cousins told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. The Vikings did not extend his contract last offseason, unable to meet in the middle for a fair price beyond 2023. However, both sides — the Vikings brass and Cousins’ representation — sounded amicable about the pause button, meaning a deal could consummate in February or March.
Cousins continued, “Tends to be more of a February, March conversation. And this is more right now about just finishing the football season, and trying to help us get to the playoffs and then stay in the playoffs.”
The Vikings have a 7-7 record entering Week 16 and have close to a 50-50 probability of reaching the postseason — without Cousins. Minnesota played hopscotch at QB1 after Cousins’ Achilles tear between Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs, and Nick Mullens. At the moment, Mullens appears to be the guy for the remaining three games, all division bouts.
“I do believe there’s, probably, my best football still up ahead of me. But I gotta go prove that with the way I heal up and then with the way I play up ahead. The game is so much mental, and it’s so much on past experiences,” Cousins concluded about this career juncture. He’ll turn 36 in August.
Days after Cousins’ injury, head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters, “Kirk Cousins is going to be healthy again. I know he’s going to be a free agent after this season, but Kirk knows how I feel about him, and that will be something, you know, that hopefully will work itself out.”
Some Vikings fans have suggested Cousins might return in 2024 on a “team-friendly deal,” although no evidence suggests the 35-year-old will actually do that. Cousins and his representation have always been shrewd business entities, and team-friendly anything doesn’t usually follow Cousins per contractual matters. In reality, Cousins will likely request $40-$50 million per season via his next contract — in Minnesota or elsewhere.
“You guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk. I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League,” O’Connell said about Cousins on Halloween.
Cousins ranks third in Vikings history per passing yards with 23,265 behind Fran Tarkenton (33,098) and Tommy Kramer (24,775).
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.