Minnesota Vikings news: Kirk Cousins is expected to make a full recovery from his season-ending Achilles injury. He’s reportedly been making significant progress since undergoing surgery to repair the injury, and he should be good to go when the new season starts.
The big question, however, is whether or not he will be wearing a Vikings uniform in 2024.
Minnesota Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell Speaks Out on Kirk Cousins Contract Siutation
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to the press on Tuesday from the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Naturally, one of the biggest questions he faced centered around the future of Cousins.
O’Connell pointed out that the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback has been to the dance before and that Cousins knows exactly what he’s doing ahead of free agency. The Minnesota shot-caller made it abundantly clear that the team would love to get their QB1 back for at least another season but at the same time, they’re not ruling out the possibility of a summer divorce:
“This is not Kirk’s first time in free agency,” O’Connell said, via Charean Williams of PFT. “Kirk Cousins knows how I feel about him. I’ve held no secrets there. He knows how the Minnesota Vikings feel about him. I believe Kirk wants to be a Viking, and we’re going to work to try to make that the outcome.
“I think anytime you go into situations like this, it is a negotiation, and we’re trying to come to an agreement that works for both sides, as we not only build our football team for 2024, but we’re trying to do some things to help us sustain for the future as well. . . . I feel like we’re heading toward a good place with Kirk, but like we’ve seen, free agency and the uncertainties for this time of year, you’ve got to be ready in a leadership role to have contingency plans and adjust on the fly.”
Simply put, O’Connell hopes that Cousins is able to successfully negotiate a new deal with the front office. At the same time, however, the team is already prepared for the possibility of parting ways with the 35-year-old.
O’Connell had nothing but high praise for Cousins, though, in terms of what the former Michigan State standout has done for the organizations in his six years in Minnesota:
“We come here two years, and Kirk was a huge reason why,” O’Connell said. “I thought so highly amongst a lot of things about the Minnesota Vikings’ opportunities because of my belief of him. We’ve won a lot of games over these two years with Kirk as our quarterback and thought he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League when he got hurt after beating the Packers at Lambeau last year. . . . To have that happen was a big deal for me personally and much beyond just my role of coaching the team. But it’s been awesome to see him through his rehab and where he’s at now, really getting right back up on his feet and attacking this thing.
“My feelings on Kirk Cousins, they really have not wavered in two years. If anything, they’re stronger now having gone through a lot of adversity together, but we’ve had a lot of success as well.”
Up until this point, however, there remains no guarantee that Cousins will still be throwing for the Vikings once the new season starts.
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