Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings and former quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has touted his support and hopes to keep quarterback Kirk Cousins in Minnesota — but with just a week left to re-sign Cousins, O’Connell has shifted his message.
Appearing on NFL Network on March 2, O’Connell alluded to the tampering that happens every year at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis when addressing Cousins’ future.
The Vikings, who haven’t found middle ground with Cousins in contract talks going back to last March, must now contend with competing offers Cousins’ representation likely gathered during the combine.
“The combine gave everybody else an opportunity, whether they’re supposed to be or not, to maybe have some conversations,” O’Connell said of Cousins. “He’s earned the right to be a free agent. He’s played really good football… I know Kirk is going to go through a full process — he’s a process guy — and hopefully, we continue to be a strong part in that process and we figure out a way to keep him a Minnesota Viking.”
O’Connell said he’s maintained communication with Cousins and hopes the Vikings remain in consideration. However, O’Connell acknowledged Cousins would entertain those offers, which could prove to be better deals than the Vikings are willing to give Cousins.
“My expectation is we’re not going to be the only ones that would like Kirk Cousins to be the quarterback of our team in 2024,” O’Connell added.
Considering the Vikings have not bent to Cousins’ demands for an extension over the past 12 months, competing offers he garnered at the combine are likely to pique Cousins’ interest — especially if they promise more than the Vikings have offered.
Falcons Become Betting Favorites for Kirk Cousins After Rumor of Cousins Preparing to Move to Atlanta
GettyKirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings.
On March 5, DraftKings’ odds next team odds shifted in favor of the Atlanta Falcons for the first time this offseason.
FALCONS ARE THE NEW FAVORITES TO SIGN KIRK COUSINS 🚨
The movement from DraftKings came after Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that Cousins is “seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta.”
“We can’t get into the specifics, for now. But we’re getting very credible indications that Cousins is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta. Which would mean, obviously, that he’d be signing with the Falcons,” Florio wrote on March 4.
However, local beat reporter KSTP’s Darren Wolfson followed up on Florio’s report, speaking with one person who knows Cousins “incredibly well.”
“He shot that down,” Wolfson said of the rumor on SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast on March 5. “It does not mean that Kirk is re-signing with the Vikings or not landing in Atlanta. The end game absolutely can be Kirk landing in Atlanta, but the exact verbiage… [the source] shot it down.”
Vikings’ Offer Stands, Kirk Cousins Must Decide
GettyKirk Cousins runs out the tunnel before a game.
Like it or not, the Vikings have maintained their position on Cousins throughout his latest contract saga.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have both expressed a desire to keep Cousins around, but the Vikings also want to maintain financial flexibility to build up the roster in the future.
That is difficult with Cousins, who was the first player to receive a fully guaranteed contract in NFL history back in 2018 and has since made over $150 million fully guaranteed. He’s maintained his stance that structure is most important to him, meaning he is looking for guarantees.
The line is drawn, with neither side seeming to cede from their stance.
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Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Shifts Message on Kirk Cousins’ Future