Kirk Cousins Says Vikings Wouldn’t Have Done Him Dirty Like Falcons Did

The Minnesota Vikings had a tall task this offseason, trying to get Kirk Cousins under contract. It led to a chaotic free agency sequence. It felt like everyone in the NFL community was waiting to see whether the Vikings would need to replace their Pro Bowl quarterback.

Cousins and the Vikings’ front office held several contract discussions, but ultimately, all parties agreed it would be best for him to test the market. That plan, if the Vikings’ true intent was to re-sign him, backfired.

Yet, it’s possible the Vikings felt it was time to move on from the 35-year-old QB coming off a season-ending Achilles tear. There have been plenty of reports leaning either way. But now we have an update on one aspect of those negotiations.

Related: 5 Bold Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Predictions, Including Lewis Cine’s Fate

Kevin O’Connell told Kirk Cousins Vikings were “very unlikely” to draft a QB if he returned

While we don’t have access to what really happened between Kirk Cousins and the Vikings, now there’s been an update on one aspect of those negotiations. It comes straight from the horse’s mouth, with Cousins appearing on the Scoop City podcast with former NFL QB Chase Daniel .

Cousins indicates that Kevin O’Connell told him it would be “very unlikely” for the Vikings to draft a QB if he returned in 2024.

“I think the reality is just that they wanted to give themselves that flexibility. And I remember Kevin’s words, which I’m not going to hold him to them were, ‘Hey if we sign you back, I would think it’s very unlikely that we would draft somebody.’ It was something to that effect. But I also know in the league things change. So even if he says that, it’s not like I’m going to, you know, hold him to that. But his approach was, ‘I just don’t see us doing that if you’re back. You know, if you’re not back, then we have to.”

Kirk Cousins

Of course, Cousins signed with Atlanta instead, and they decided to draft Michael Penix Jr, one of the oldest QB prospects in the draft. The move was easily the biggest shock of the 2024 NFL Draft, especially considering the Falcons had a strong need for a pass-rusher.

Not to mention, they were just one month removed from paying Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract. That’s a lot to invest in one position for a defense that ranked in the middle of the pack last season ( 18th in points allowed ).

Related: Vikings Told Kirk Cousins on Draft Night 2021 That They Were Thinking QB in 1st Round

Cousins story contradicts earlier Vikings reports about draft intentions

Kirk Cousins’s story is fascinating. However, it differentiates from what we’ve heard from other insiders in the past. Here was Kevin Seifert’s bit from a July 19 article on ESPN.

“O’Connell leveled with Cousins after the season: The Vikings’ 3-6 record after his injury had exposed the dangers of not looking beyond a 36-year-old quarterback. With their best draft position (No. 11 overall) in a decade, the team had decided to tap into a deep 2024 quarterback class and find its next starter. But no one — not ownership, not Adofo-Mensah and not O’Connell — wanted the rookie to play right away. Cousins would be their starter in 2024 and possibly longer.”

Kevin Seifert

Then, there’s this Albert Breer Sports Illustrated report from May.

“A reason he decided to leave Minnesota is because the Vikings were very up front with the 35-year-old about the possibility that, even in the case he stayed, they’d take a quarterback of the future high in the draft. Tying that together with the team’s willingness to guarantee part, but not all, of a second year on another contract, Cousins figured that, if he stayed, there was a good shot that he’d be on the move in 2025.”

Albert Breer

Somewhere, someone has some misinformation. Cousins is on record saying the Vikings weren’t guaranteed to take a quarterback, and we’re inclined to believe him. But then again, he also says he knows how quickly plans can change in the NFL .

It doesn’t matter now. Cousins is in Atlanta. The Vikings drafted their new QB of the future. Michael Penix is stuck biding his time behind one of the most productive pure passers in the NFL today. We’ll see how each strategy works out in the end.

Related: Did Madden Just Snub Justin Jefferson?

More must-reads:

• Did Madden Just Snub Justin Jefferson?
• Vikings Cut a Player and Sign a Brian Flores-Friendly Defensive Back
• WATCH: Kevin O’Connell Delivers Powerful Speech At Khyree Jackson’s Funeral