Kirk Cousins ‘Wants to Be a Viking’ Ahead of 2024 NFL Free Agency, HC O’Connell Says

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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell believes quarterback Kirk Cousins “wants to be a Viking” as he enters free agency this offseason.

O’Connell said Tuesday in an interview on KFAN in Minneapolis that Cousins also “knows we want him to be a Viking.”

All things being equal, a reunion is probably what both sides want to see.

Cousins is a beloved figure inside the locker room, and he was on pace for a strong season (2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions through eight starts) before suffering a torn Achilles.

But the Achilles injury adds to what was already a difficult decision for Minnesota.

The Vikings have paid Cousins $185 million over six years and for that investment they’ve earned one playoff win. The 35-year-old was supposed to be the missing piece of a Super Bowl puzzle, and that simply hasn’t happened.

To say the four-time Pro Bowler has put a ceiling on Minnesota’s ambitions would be unfair because he’s a lot better than plenty of quarterbacks around the NFL. However, it would be accurate to say he hasn’t elevated the team in the same way truly elite QBs have for their franchises in recent years.

Now, Cousins is coming off a major injury that at the very least disrupts his preparations for the 2024 season and could continue to linger after he has been fully cleared for a return.

Of course, the dilemma for the Vikings is that there isn’t a straightforward path to finding something better than or even as good as Cousins. He’s the best signal-caller available in free agency, and Minnesota’s draft position in the first round (No. 11) means USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels will all likely be off the board when it’s on the clock.

The Vikings can’t write Cousins a blank check, but perhaps they have no alternative other than doing almost everything they can to bring him back for at least another year or two.