Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering a period of uncertainty as discussions about his future with the team remain pending heading into the 2024 season. Cousins, who has spent six seasons with the Vikings, is on the verge of becoming a free agent as his contract expires this offseason.
The 35-year-old quarterback, who experienced injury-related setbacks for the first time in his career this season, is uncertain about his footballing destination for the upcoming season. Cousins sustained a season-ending torn Achilles against the Green Bay Packers in Week Eight, leading to a reshuffling of the quarterback position with Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall taking turns under center. Unfortunately, the Vikings missed out on the playoffs, finishing with a 7-10 record.
Cousins revealed that discussions about his future typically do not commence until March, which surprises many, including friends and family. Speaking to Sky Sports NFL, Cousins expressed his desire to have clarity about his future sooner, stating, “I would love to know where I’m going, I would love to get those conversations going now, but I’m just sitting at home watching the playoffs and don’t have much going on apart from rehab.”
However, the quarterback acknowledged the necessity of waiting until March to initiate discussions, as the NFL landscape evolves with coaching vacancies being filled, teams strategizing for the draft, and handling free agency decisions. Cousins recognizes that the resolution of these factors, including the plans of his current team, the Vikings, will determine where he will play in the upcoming season.
While Cousins is currently focused on rehab and watching the playoffs from the sidelines, he remains optimistic about his return to the field, targeting a comeback by training camp at the latest. Reflecting on the moment he realized the severity of his Achilles injury, Cousins mentioned, “It was a difficult moment, but the real difficult moment was having to watch games on Sundays.”
Despite the challenges, Cousins expressed satisfaction with the healing process and anticipates being ready for OTA practices this spring, if not by training camp. He emphasized taking things one day at a time as he progresses in his recovery.
Before his injury, Cousins had a solid start to the season, completing 216 of 311 passes for 2,331 yards and 18 touchdowns to five interceptions, leading the team to a 4-4 record. Since joining the Vikings in free agency in 2018, Cousins has guided the team to the playoffs twice, reaching the Divisional Round in 2019 and experiencing a surprising Wild Card defeat to the New York Giants last season. As the uncertainty looms over his future, Cousins remains hopeful for a swift resolution in the coming weeks.
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