Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell plans to push for Kirk Cousins to return to the team in 2024.
Cousins, in the final year of his existing contract, could test free agency if he fully recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon. The 35-year-old Cousins was playing on a one-year, $35 million deal in 2023.
“Yeah, you guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk,” O’Connell said. “I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League and one of the hardest parts about coping with this, the fact that he was experiencing his best season in the National Football League and where we could have gone as a team. Hopefully, we are still going to get to that place. But I know without Kirk Cousins and that high-level quarterback play we were getting from him week in and week out, it’s going to be a challenge, but one that we’ve got to accept and try to thrive.”
The Vikings are preparing rookie Jaren Hall to start this week and acquired Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday.
Cousins helped Minnesota get to 4-4 in a dramatic U-turn to the season following an 0-3 start. He leads the NFL with 216 pass completions, was tied for the league lead with 18 touchdown passes and had five interceptions with a 103.8 passer rating (third in the NFL).
O’Connell said he received a few eye-opening text messages about available quarterbacks before the Vikings settled on Dobbs. He discussed a future with Cousins in the picture, perhaps showing his hand with a glance toward 2024.
“Just wanted to make sure that we gave ourselves the opportunity to really go in a lot of directions with the position, including Kirk Cousins is going to be healthy again,” O’Connell said. “I know he’s going to be a free agent after this season, but Kirk knows how I feel about him and that will be something that hopefully works itself out.”
Cousins posted a selfie on social media Wednesday morning from his hospital bed at Twin Cities Orthopedics in Eagan, Minn.
“Surgery was a success! Grateful for your prayers, Dr. (Chris) Coetzee’s abilities, and our medical team,” he wrote. “Would appreciate continued prayers! One day at a time…”
Surgery was a success! Grateful for your prayers, Dr. Coetzee’s abilities, and our medical team. Would appreciate continued prayers! One day at a time… pic.twitter.com/prVoPwLsfB
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) November 1, 2023
–Field Level Media
