Getty Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The Minnesota Vikings were considering a future without Kirk Cousins when they walked away from the negotiating table and sent the veteran quarterback into a contract year this summer.
But after eight games, that future became a reality as Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury on October 29. Cousins had played some of the best football of his career up to that point, but at the age of 36 his market was considered controversial by many analysts.
But that could make it easier to keep him in Minnesota — even if Josh Dobbs showcased the Vikings’ offensive potential with a mobile quarterback, scoring a season-high 31 points in a comeback win over the Falcons on Sunday.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson examined the Vikings’ future at quarterback and said he believes there is a “greater chance” of Cousins re-signing with the Vikings in the offseason than before his injury.
“I still think there’s a better chance today than there was two Sunday mornings ago (before Cousins’ injury) that Kirk Cousins is the quarterback of this team in Week 1 next year,” Wolfson said on an episode of “Mackey and Judd.” ” by SKOR North on November 7th. Podcast.
Wolfson added that, like last spring, there is interest in adding a young first-round prospect to the roster but allowing him to develop behind Cousins.
Vikings express interest in bringing Kirk Cousins back, but there’s a catch
Getty Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The new Vikings regime that Cousins inherited supported the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback after his injury.
Kevin O’Connell expressed his hopes that Cousins will be back with the Vikings on Tuesday following Cousins’ injury.
“Kirk Cousins will be fine,” O’Connell said, according to NBC Sports. “I know he will be a free agent after this season, but Kirk knows how I feel about him and hopefully that will work itself out. . . . You know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk. I think he played as well as anyone in the National Football League.”
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reiterated his support for Cousins, but acknowledged that his personal desire to retain Cousins does not supersede what is best for the organization.
“Kirk played great,” Adofo-Mensah said in a press conference after taking over for Dobbs, according to the Star Tribune. “I think my desire for Kirk to come back is not just me. It’s a negotiation. You come together at the table and try to see if everything fits together, and we will have that dialogue when it does.”
The Vikings have shed numerous veterans over the past two seasons and have not given in to overpayments or player contract restructurings that could hurt their plans for the future.
Adofo-Mensah said any chance Cousins had at the start of the season is still up for grabs. It will come down to whether Cousins is willing to accept those terms after the Vikings didn’t budge last summer.
“Vikings will weigh their options with trials at Dobbs, Hall.”
GettyJosh Dobbs
Cousins’ injury is unfortunate, make no mistake. But it also gives the Vikings a chance to see if they have something in fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall or Dobbs.
Dobbs would have to be re-signed if Minnesota is interested in having him back, while Hall is under contract through 2027.
Either quarterback could potentially serve as a starter as the Vikings develop a first-round prospect they could select in the upcoming draft.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist who covers the Minnesota Vikings for Heavy.com. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and worked at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
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