More than two months since a torn right Achilles tendon raised the possibility that he might have played his final snaps in a Vikings jersey, Kirk Cousins has made it clear that he wants to return to Minnesota with a new contract in 2024.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell have reciprocated those sentiments, and as players cleaned out their lockers Monday, right tackle Brian O'Neill gave perhaps the most emphatic support ever from Cousins' teammates his return was supported.
“Absolutely. Absolutely,” O’Neill said when asked if he would like Cousins back. “A billion percent. This is my husband and I will drive for him. I will tell everyone that. Ten thousand percent, I'd rather have no one other than Kirk take center stage for us. I love this guy. I can.” Let’s talk about Kirk for the next two hours if we want. He has such an impact on the locker room.”
After the final team meetings on Monday, players left the Vikings locker room to begin their offseason. By the time they return to the locker room in April, the Vikings will have completed contract negotiations with Cousins, which could be one of the most important moves in an offseason that could define the tenures of Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell. Through these negotiations, the interest of the quarterback and the team in further cooperation will crystallize.
Cousins, speaking to reporters Monday, reiterated his desire to stay in Minnesota and said he understands the possibility that the Vikings could draft his successor in the spring even if they sign him.
“I don’t think you can do your job as the leader of an organization without asking yourself, ‘What is our succession plan? What do we have in the pipeline?' This simply means being responsible and [doing] Due diligence,” he said.
The 35-year-old QB also signaled his willingness to at least consider a cheaper deal that would give the Vikings salary cap space to address other positions. “I think God has blessed me more financially than I could have imagined. So at this stage of my career it's really not about money,” he said, adding: “At this point, structure is probably more important.”
But it's still unlikely it will be cheap for the Vikings to bring back Cousins, who was leading the league in most passing categories at the time of his injury and could return from surgery during organized team activities this spring. He said Monday that his recovery remains free of “curveballs,” adding that his injury should not affect his play as a pocket passer. When his agent Mike McCartney goes to the NFL Combine in late February to meet with teams about possible free agents, he could be armed with a video of Cousins trying to convince teams that the Achilles Injury not a problem is a concern.
“I’m not going to try to sell myself, if you will,” Cousins said. “I think I like to let people make their own decisions. Because I think the league needs quarterbacks, and if you're trying to talk yourself out of having a quarterback, I can't be of much help. “The Achilles.” will heal. It's on the right track and I'm a pocket passer and there's still a lot of time until next season. So for a lot of reasons it doesn’t worry me.”
Cousins sought a long-term contract with the Vikings ahead of both the 2022 and 2023 seasons; The team gave him a one-year, $35 million extension through 2022 and added two void years to his existing contract last year when talks on a long-term plan fell through. Multiple sources said the sides had reached an impasse over the guaranteed structure of the deal; Cousins' camp wanted guaranteed money through 2025, while the Vikings were only willing to offer guarantees through 2024.
A two-year deal this year would secure Cousins through 2025 and potentially give the Vikings time to draft and develop his successor, but the team will have to weigh whether it has interest in Cousins given his departure to give the commitment he wanted He suffered an injury and celebrated his 36th birthday.
“I think I'll let Mike McCartney do his job and I'll let the team do theirs,” Cousins said. “I won't force anything. So we let the team do what they want. It is their club and they will make their decisions and then we will react accordingly.”
When Cousins signed with the Vikings in March 2018, his oldest son, Cooper, was less than six months old. Now he is the oldest of two boys who have spent much of their lives in Minnesota and a kindergartener who loves his school. “So there are all sorts of factors,” Cousins said.
“Ultimately you just want to try to find a fit that makes the most sense and that you're happy with,” he added. “I felt great peace and clarity when I chose Michigan State. I felt great peace when I arrived in Washington and saw the coaches I would be working with. I felt great peace when I came here. And that's really what you're looking for this time: 'Where can I get peace from the Lord?' And then follow him.”
As he approaches free agency for the second time in his career, Cousins is receiving public support from both O'Neill and Justin Jefferson for his return. The Vikings' quarterback plan for 2024 and the next few years could be shaped by their efforts to convert their mutual interest with Cousins into a deal.
“No matter what everyone in the world has, whatever they believe or whatever their goal is, their moral compass or how they live their life, I think people can look at Kirk and say: Whatever his life is “He lives this 100 percent every day, and he's more true to himself than most people I've ever met,” O'Neill said. “He is true to himself in his preparation and belief, and he is a true ballplayer. He's really, really good. I would love the chance to play with him again.”
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