Kirk Cousins Contract Extension with Vikings Feels Inevitable
Wednesday morning, Kirk Cousins reported the completion of a successful surgery on his torn Achilles tendon, via a tweet that included a photo of his new purple cast. Anyone have a sharpie?
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
Since the season-ending injury took place on Sunday afternoon, Cousins has done anything but isolate himself. Jordan Addison told reporters last week that Kirk has vowed to coaches, teammates and, most importantly, the quarterback room, that he will be present at TCO Performance Center throughout his recovery.
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Injured Kirk Cousins vows to be present at Vikings facilities
Teammates, including Justin Jefferson in a reply to the above tweet, have been pouring out support for Kirk since his injury took place, reiterating openly just how much they love and appreciate their injured leader,
There is no doubt Kirk should be able to provide a huge boost to the Vikings locker room, film room and practice fields, especially the QB room, which includes a 5th round rookie starter and a backup that just got the playbook yesterday.
Hell, I’m sure Cousins will offer a large amount of offensive support on gameday, as well. He’s spent every work day of the past 6.5 years leading this team and finding/knowing what makes it click. So, the Vikings side of the equation makes sense… but what’s in it for Kirk Cousins?
Probably a job next year, as the team’s starting quarterback.
Notable that Kevin O'Connell said: "Kirk Cousins is going to be healthy again. 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 will hopefully works itself out."
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 31, 2023
Kirk Cousins contract extension feels inevitable
I’m not saying a Kirk Cousins contract extension will happen immediately, or that it will happen over the next couple months, but both Kirk and the Vikings sure seem on their way to extending their 6+ year relationship at some point before NFL training camp 2024.
The day after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, most of Minnesota got their relatively heavy snowfall of the season. “Heavy” is a relative term, especially when talking snowfall in this state. But, much of the state got enough snow that it stuck around overnight.
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Kirk’s Halloween surprise
Without a doubt, the ground was much slicker that night than what I would have been comfortable with, if riding a scooter around with a recently ruptured Achilles tendon that had yet to be surgically repaired or secured with a hard protective cast.
Yet, there he was at TCO Performance Center participating in a Halloween event that NOBODY expected him to be at, just hours after the most devastating moment of his professional career, again proving his unmatched leadership and unshakable commitment to Vikings fans and the organization, as a whole.
@KirkCousins8 my nephew met you tonight at the Halloween party. You could have stayed away, you could have said no to an autograph. No one would have blamed you after the day you have had. Thank you for showing him that despite all the bad you can rise above it. #Vikings pic.twitter.com/HtZp2mq9xZ
— Blair Reynolds (@Hometownguy33) October 31, 2023
Now, I get it. Kirk Cousins is a great guy and had probably committed to the Halloween event, prior to his injury. Still, nobody expected him to follow through on that commitment, given all of the circumstances fighting against him that night.
Cousins’ constant presence would be awkward if future was up in the air
And it’s worth wondering whether or not Cousins would have been there, if he expected to be playing quarterback elsewhere next season. Not only that, but it’s unlikely the Vikings want him to be around the team, to the degree he is expected to be, if they were trying to shift leadership away from him going forward.
But that is not what is happening, which tells me that, in all likelihood, Cousins is going to return as a member of the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. And his presence around the team, as he recovers from surgery, is only one reason that leads me to believe this future.
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Wilfs like stability and the rest of this season will prove why
A Kirk Cousins contract extension looks more likely, after his injury, in other ways too. Just look at the way losing Cousins has sent the fanbase into meltdown mode. It’s almost like we’ve all been slapped in the face with what reality would be like without him.
Instead of worrying about playoff wins and leadership styles, we’re worried about finding someone who can throw a ball successfully to an open receiver. That same thought goes for the Wilfs too, who we know pull the strings, when it comes to long-term vision for the franchise.
They want to win 8 or more games every year and always be mentioned in playoff conversations. Over the next 9 weeks, they are going to find out how much more difficult that is without Kirk as their quarterback.
Injury actually makes Kirk more signable for Minnesota Vikings?
Plus, the injury could make Cousins much more willing to take years and/or zeroes off his offseason contract demands. Could he still get a three or four year, $40 million per season contract elsewhere? Maybe… but those types of offers will be harder to come by, now that he is coming off an Achilles tear.
Suddenly, a Kirk Cousins contract extension for one or two year years seems much more possible. And if Cousins still covets multiple years, there’s no doubt he will have to accept less of it in guaranteed cash, no matter where he ends up.
This video summarizes who Kirk Cousins is perfectly…
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 30, 2023
He gets on the cart, knowing his season (and career in Minnesota) might be over…
And what is he doing? Clapping, cheering for his team.
Kirk Cousins will be back. pic.twitter.com/al4YWnYtX9
No matter what angle you view this situation from, it seems more and more likely with every passing day, that a Kirk Cousins contract extension is going to happen before next season. At this point, I’d be shocked he ended up elsewhere.
Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan
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