Kirk Cousins Remains Unwavering in His Desire to Stay in Minnesota
Josh Frey
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A major topic of discussion within Vikings fandom this offseason has been the future of Minnesota’s quarterback position, and whether or not Kirk Cousins plays a role in that future. Some theorized that the Vikings might target a QB early in the draft this year, potentially trading up to grab one of the top guys.
Alas, that did not happen, and while the Vikings drafted Jaren Hall in the fifth round of the draft, the future of the starting position remains very much up in the air. On Wednesday afternoon, Cousins took the podium and discussed what it was like going into this offseason without much certainty in this regard:
“You’re always looking to the future, you’re always looking at different options, and I think everybody’s got to do their due diligence. I’m looking forward to this year and wanting to prove it again and do it again and play at the highest level I can and that’s really where my focus is.”
In 2022, Cousins completed 65.7% of his passes for 4547 yards and 29 touchdowns, but he also threw a career-high 14 interceptions. These interceptions could be viewed in a negative light, but often-times, they were a small blip in what was overall a much more aggressive offense under Kevin O’Connell in his first year as head coach that helped lead the Vikings to their 13-4 record and their first NFC North crown since 2017.
Heading into the second year of that offensive scheme, much of the group on that side of the ball remains the same outside of the subtraction of Adam Thielen and addition of Jordan Addison. The offensive line remains in place, even down to the depth pieces, and the reliable trio of T.J. Hockenson, Justin Jefferson, and K.J. Osborn return.
Perhaps most importantly, though, this is the first time in Cousins’ Vikings career where he has the same offensive coordinator feeding him plays for a second consecutive year. The Vikings QB is already reaping the benefits of this in OTAs, and he also spoke on this during his presser:
“The big [difference] is, like today, running plays on air, last year they had to quote unquote ‘hold my hand’ to call the play where…when you call it, I can’t see it in my head, so I can’t call it. So to be able to have the play come in, and just boom, ‘call two plays in the huddle, let’s go’, it’s just night and day from last year. So you’d like to think that starting in a further spot in May, it just advances everything to August, to September, you’re just more comfortable.”
Last season, the Vikings roared to an 8-1 start to their season, including a dominant 23-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. If the group on offense is more comfortable than they were at this time last year, perhaps we could see a few more dominant victories like that one rather than the ‘sweat it out’ one possession wins that Minnesota had on a regular basis.
However, the NFL is a very uncertain world. Players can get cut by teams in the blink of an eye, or injuries can derail a season. There is still some uncertainty with Cousins’ playing future, but entering his age-35 season, here is how the QB is approaching this upcoming season and the potential of this being his final season with the Vikings:
“I just think it’s healthiest to be present, to be focused on Phase 2, Wednesday, and live right now in the moment. And again, when you do that, and just do it day after day, you get to next February, and you say, ‘everything will work out’, and it’s just best to stay in the present to have March go the way that you want it to go.”
If the Vikings find even more success this season than last, that significantly widens the door to Cousins getting another contract to remain in Minnesota. He didn’t get a extension this offseason, and now, for the first time since he joined the Vikings, the QB enters a contract year. That could have been taken as a slight by Cousins, but instead, he has remained unwavering in his desire to stay in Minnesota:
“I want to be in Minnesota. Yeah, that’s kind of a no-brainer, so hopefully we can earn the right to do that.“
For all the criticism he’s received over the years, Cousins has been one of the more consistent starting QBs in the league that can be counted on to start and play well on a week-to-week basis. With Minnesota’s uncertainty at the QB position outside of him, perhaps he can still be the stabilizing force in that room for years to come.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.