Already, The Kirk Cousins Possible Return to Minnesota Has Ignited Online
Didn’t take very long, did it?
Ben Goessling, an excellent Vikings writer who does his work for The Star Tribune, was asked about the possibility of Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota in 2025. Check out the response: “Cousins has offset language in his contract with the Falcons; if he were released in Atlanta, it wouldn’t even cost the Vikings that much to sign him. Russell Wilson is playing on a league minimum deal with the Steelers.”
Does Kirk Cousins Play for the Vikings Yet Again
In the words of Lloyd Christmas, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”
Sure, there’s a chance. After all, Cousins may end up getting axed by the Falcons once the offseason arrives. Being benched late in 2024 in favor of the No. 8 pick leaves that as a distinct possibility. A critical factor rests in how well Penix does in his role as the new QB1.
The idea comes up in a recent piece from Janik Eckardt, who explains, “If [Penix] does poorly, Cousins might receive another chance, and the Falcons must hope that some extra time between the devastating Achilles injury suffered in October 2023 and his next start helps him revert to his prime self.”
Now, Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network has suggested that some form of separation between Atlanta and Kirk Cousins seems likely: “If Cousins remains on the Atlanta roster as of March 16, another $10M in 2026 would become fully guaranteed — not impossible, but practically unfathomable after the decision today.”
Pelissero sees an ongoing relationship at being close to “unfathomable.” Keep in mind that Pelissero is one of the best in the business and someone who knows Cousins.
Go back to the thought from Goessling.
The basic idea is that Kirk Cousins is going to get paid no matter what. Russell Wilson is playing on a bargain deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers — $1,210,000 — because the Broncos are still kicking over his guaranteed cash. Would something similar occur in Minnesota?
Think, too, of Daniel Jones. He became a Viking earlier in the regular season after the New York Giants decided to move on. Similar to Wilson, Jones is making just a tiny amount of money in terms of a cap hit — $127,800 — because his former employer is still paying major money per the guarantees in the contract that was signed.
Throughout the season, the QB debate in Minnesota has revolved around whether Sam Darnold would be back. He has played so well that Minnesota must consider the possibility. The major uncertainty, of course, is that J.J. McCarthy will soon return to full health and was picked at No. 10. Would it make more sense to hand things off to the sophomore who is playing on a rookie contract?
Tossing Kirk Cousins into the mix adds just another layer of quarterback uncertainty. In the end, a reunion is very unlikely; Minnesota has basically overhauled their quarterback position in the aftermath of Cousins’ departure, so re-welcoming him would be a bit off.
But, to be sure, the NFL can be an unpredictable place. Cousins played the best football of his career as a Viking (at least in the O’Connell years).
Cousins has led Atlanta to a perfectly pedestrian 7-7 record. Within those games, Cousins has completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. His play in recent games has been very poor.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.