The Latest Kirk Cousins Injury Update Is Positive
Josh Frey
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Right when it seemed the Vikings were turning things around this season, they lost their starting QB Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles.
Cousins had led the Vikings to victories over the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers following their 1-4 start to the season, and Minnesota was on the verge of a third consecutive win in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers when the injury occurred.
After the injury, Minnesota went on to finish the season by going 3-6 over their final nine games without Cousins, going through a revolving door at the QB position with Josh Dobbs, Jaren Hall, and Nick Mullens.
Now, Cousins is set to enter free agency in March, and while Vikings leadership has expressed an interest in bringing him back for a seventh season, much of that decision could revolve around his recovery timeline.
For any Vikings fans hoping that Cousins is back in 2024, the latest update to his injury timeline is a positive one.
The Latest Kirk Cousins Injury Update Is Positive
Cousins spoke with Rob Maadi of the Associated Press on Wednesday, and according to the QB, he continues to plan on being ready to go by the time OTAs roll around in May.
“My expectation is that I’ll be able to practice during OTAs as normal,” Cousins said. “But the question will be, is it worth it? And so you have to weigh that a little bit. But my goal would be that I’m saying I can go and you guys are going to have to stop me because I feel that good. If I’m not allowed into the full-team drills, I know I can do basically a full-speed practice on the field next to it is pretty much my goal.”
Prior to the injury, Cousins was arguably playing the best football of his career and was on pace to throw for over 5000 yards and 38 TDs. Both totals would have been career-highs for the 35-year-old QB.
During Minnesota’s end-of-season press conference, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made it clear that he intends to try and bring Cousins back in 2024.
“I thought we were playing really good football before [Kirk] got injured, and it’s the most important position in sports now. Ultimately, it always comes down to can you find an agreement that works for both sides and all of those things, but as a player, it’s certainly my intention to have him back here.”
Players like Justin Jefferson have been very clear that they, too, want Cousins back in a Vikings uniform next season, and the quarterback echoed the sentiment to Maadi on Wednesday.
“I appreciate their support, and the feelings are mutual in terms of being so grateful that I’ve gotten to play with Justin and been coached by the great coaches I’ve had,” Cousins said. “So, it goes both ways. And, I think that’s part of the feeling in Minnesota for a while has been we have a good locker room and we all really enjoy the group we have and the work we’ve done together.”
In the end, the decision to bring Cousins back ultimately will come down to the contract. The Vikings have a number of areas on their roster that must improve in 2024, and they can only spend so much money to keep the quarterback around.
As long as the contract is reasonable, though, and Cousins is correct in his assertion that he can be back to practicing before the season begins, it seems like he will be back in a purple uniform next season.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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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.