NFL Rumors: Vikings Eye Kirk Cousins Return on New Contract Despite Achilles Injury

The Minnesota Vikings will look to re-sign impending free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins despite the four-time Pro Bowler suffering a season-ending torn Achilles last Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the news on Saturday:

“Cousins is out for the season and will be a free agent in 2024,” Russini wrote.

“Though his future is unclear, conversations I have had with sources over the last few months always suggest Minnesota will try to bring him back and that there are many in the building and locker room who want that.”

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reiterated Russini’s report on Sunday morning: “The Vikings, who will start rookie Jaren Hall today against the Falcons, could still select a quarterback in the 2024 draft. But that move could be coupled with a Cousins return, sources say.”

Cousins, who will turn 36 before next season, leads the NFL with 18 touchdown passes and 211 completions. He appeared to be well on pace for a third straight Pro Bowl appearance after completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 291.4 yards per game. Cousins’ 103.8 quarterback rating also ranks third in the NFL.

The Vikings were on a roll before the Cousins injury, winning three straight to move to 4-4 and into the final NFC playoff spot with two months left. Minnesota’s offense was also fantastic, averaging 5.7 yards per play, good for the sixth-most in the NFL.

It’s easy to see why the Vikings are interested in bringing Cousins back. Simply put, Minnesota was faring well with him, and a healthy return to the mix can bring about that success again.

Plus, he has a big fan in head coach Kevin O’Connell, who has made it clear that he wants Cousins back.

“Yeah, you guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk,” O’Connell told reporters Tuesday, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.

“I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League and one of the hardest parts about coping with this … [is] the fact that he was experiencing his best season in the National Football League and where we could have gone as a team. Hopefully, we are still going to get to that place. But I know without Kirk Cousins and that high level quarterback play we were getting from him week in and week out, it’s going a challenge, but one that we’ve got to accept and try to thrive.”

For now, the Vikings will give signal-calling duties to rookie Jaren Hall, who saw his first-ever action relieving Cousins late in Minnesota’s win against Green Bay last Sunday. Josh Dobbs, who the Vikings acquired from the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth-round pick, will serve as the backup. The Vikings still have ex-backup Nick Mullens on injured reserve and Sean Mannion on the practice squad.

Hall will get the first start, though, on Sunday in a 1 p.m. ET game at Atlanta.