National Football League

Kevin O'Connell hopes impending free agent Kirk Cousins will be back with Vikings

Published Nov. 1, 2023 11:58 a.m. ET

Kirk Cousins might have played his final snap with the Vikings last Sunday. Kevin O'Connell hopes that isn't the case.

The Vikings coach expressed his desire that the team will be able to keep Cousins, who suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Minnesota's win over the Packers on Sunday, when he becomes a free agent this offseason.

"You guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk," O'Connell told reporters when asked if he'd like to see Cousins return next season. "I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League and one of the hardest parts about coping with this ... [is] the fact that he was experiencing his best season in the National Football League and where we could have gone as a team.

"Hopefully, we are still going to get to that place. But I know without Kirk Cousins and that high-level quarterback play we were getting from him week in and week out, it's going to be a challenge, but one that we've got to accept and try to thrive."

As Cousins is in a rare lame-duck year for a quarterback of his caliber, he was on track to arguably have his best season in his six years with the Vikings, if not in his career. He completed 69.5% of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 103.8 passer rating through the first eight games. He ranked in the top five in many of those stats, including completion percentage (fifth), passing yards (second), passing touchdowns (tied for first) and passer rating (second).

Cousins also put up strong numbers after reigning Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 that forced him to go on injured reserve, missing the past three games. The veteran quarterback navigated the Vikings to three consecutive wins, bringing their record back to .500 at 4-4 and keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The Vikings, obviously, won't be able to see if Cousins can get them to the postseason for a second straight season. Adding to the murkiness of the situation, Cousins can't be franchise tagged and the team also has to figure out contract situations with other notable players such as Danielle Hunter (who is set to become a free agent) and Jefferson (who put off extension talks at the start of the season).

Still, O'Connell made it clear that he'd like to see Cousins under center for the purple and gold.

"We talked about different things and had great dialogue internally and just wanted to make sure that we gave ourselves the opportunity to really go in a lot of directions with the position, including [the fact that] Kirk Cousins is going to be healthy again," O'Connell said. "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 hopefully works itself out."

What does Kirk Cousin's injury mean for his future with the Vikings?

Cousins underwent successful surgery on his Achilles, which was performed by Vikings team physician Dr. Chris Coetzee, the QB shared on social media Wednesday morning.

"Surgery was a success!" Cousins wrote, including a picture of himself post-operation. "Grateful for your prayers, Dr. Coetzee's abilities, and our medical team. Would appreciate continued prayers! One day at a time…"

On Tuesday, the Vikings traded for Joshua Dobbs from the Cardinals. Dobbs joins fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall as the only quarterbacks on Minnesota's active roster, with Sean Mannion on the practice squad and Nick Mullens expected to return from injured reserve later in November.

O'Connell said that Hall will get the start for Minnesota against the Falcons on Sunday, though he didn't rule out Dobbs potentially seeing the field at some point soon.

"The way I really see it as, hopefully, Jaren goes out and plays great on Sunday and there's a lot to build off of there," O'Connell said. "We're still going to prepare Josh Dobbs like he's not only one snap away, but just as we move forward, evaluate what gives us the best possible chance to win."

Entering Week 9, the Vikings sit in the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC playoff picture.