Imagine, if you will:
Somewhere in a room at TCO Performance Center, the Wilfs, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and Kevin O’Connell are having a serious conversation. They need a quarterback to back up J.J. McCarthy, and a veteran is available who could buy time for the former top-10 pick to develop.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Adofo-Mensah asked O’Connell.
“Relax, did you see what I did with Sam Darnold?” O’Connell responded.
“But what about our culture?” the Wilfs chimed back.
“He’s a perfect fit,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell knew it was a risky proposal, but he had the backing of a freshly minted contract extension. After a few nervous glances, Adofo-Mensah and the Wilfs gave the nod of approval for O’Connell to make the call.
“Kirk?” O’Connell said. “How would you like to come home?”
The past week has been stressful for Minnesota Vikings fans. They’ve gone from the high of a free-agent spending spree that hasn’t been seen since 2018 to the low of potentially having Aaron Rodgers on their team. But while adding the biggest villain in franchise history generates more clicks, the Vikings could actually be talking about reuniting with Kirk Cousins.
Cousins had a complicated six-year tenure with the Vikings. You knew he was a lock for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns every year. But you also knew the Vikings were destined to finish somewhere around 7-10 wins because of salary cap restrictions.
It’s the game a team plays with an expensive quarterback, trying to find cost-effective pieces around him to build a Super Bowl contender. When you’re working with Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady, that process is a little easier. However, the results are underwhelming when you’re working with Cousins.
But while Cousins was a lightning rod for his performance on the field, he was beloved off it. When a reporter asked Brian O’Neill how badly he wanted Cousins back on the team, he made up a number that would make Scott Steiner proud. Dalton Risner was in tears when Cousins tore his Achilles in Green Bay. Even the fans were starting to love Cousins when his “Kirko Chainz” persona took off.
Had he not cost $45 million per season to keep around, Cousins may still be the starting quarterback – albeit one who the Vikings may have eventually benched the same way he was with the Atlanta Falcons. But the circumstances have changed and Cousins could be what the Vikings are looking for in a backup.
Cousins knows the complexities of O’Connell’s offense and ran a similar system in his first year with the Atlanta Falcons. While his torn Achilles affected his play-action, Cousins remains a cerebral passer who could get the ball where it needs to go.
It’s why Cousins posted a 67.1% completion rate in his two seasons with O’Connell, adding 6,878 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Part of this could be considered fool’s gold, but it was good enough to post a 17-8 record in 25 starts, including a 13-4 campaign in 2022.
Cousins could also serve as a mentor to McCarthy. The Vikings have said all the right things as McCarthy prepares to potentially start after missing last year with a torn meniscus. But they also know what can happen without an insurance plan as they watched Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens flounder after Cousins tore his Achilles in 2023.
The plan could be simple. Cousins signs and enters training camp as “1A” to McCarthy’s “1B.” They play out the training camp, and McCarthy will start Week 1 if he’s ready to go. Otherwise, the Vikings can buy time with Cousins like they planned to do with Darnold last season.
It may not seem like Cousins would be keen on the idea, but his options are dwindling as the Falcons take his roster bonus down to the wire. If they release Cousins, he could sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants. Still, both seem like situations where the team could finish around .500 or completely tank for Arch Manning or Nico Iamaleava in next year’s draft.
It’s also a better option than going to the Cleveland Browns, where Cousins could reunite with former offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski but be thrown into a situation with nothing around him.
There’s also the fact that Cousins will be significantly cheaper than he was a year ago. If the Falcons release him, they’ll still be on the hook for most of his salary, allowing Cousins to play the same card Russell Wilson did last year. Wilson signed for the veteran minimum with the Steelers and forced the Denver Broncos to pick up roughly $37.9 million of his $39 million salary.
That would require the Falcons to pull the trigger, but Yahoo’s Charles Robinson suggested Atlanta may hold on, considering there aren’t many good bridge options. It may be causing the Vikings’ standoff with Rodgers because they prefer Cousins.
It’s a situation that would have some Vikings fans scratching their heads, but it could benefit both sides if it comes to fruition.