Athletic’s Russini thinks Kirk Cousins ‘winds up leaving Minnesota’

Kirk Cousins becomes a free agency in less than two weeks, and a key NFL insider believes he will not return to the Vikings.
The rumor mill is heating up as we approach free agency and the NFL Draft, and one of the biggest uncertainties in the NFL is the future of Cousins, the top free agent quarterback who has been linked to the Atlanta Falcons.

“It makes sense in Atlanta, right,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic remarked on The Athletic Football Show Friday. “You have Raheem Morris, who has spent years with Kirk in Washington. You have Zac Robinson, who obviously understands the Sean McVay offense, which Kirk is familiar with. There isn’t much change that needs to happen.

“I don’t ever want to undersell that because it is a big part of this process, it just makes it so much easier for everyone understand when that language is all the same.”

Cousins has transformed his reputation following two standout seasons in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, one of which ended abruptly. The veteran quarterback has thrown for 6,878 yards and 47 touchdowns in the two seasons since O’Connell took over as Vikings head coach. Minnesota had a 17-8 record in those games, certainly the best of Cousins’ career.

“Minnesota wants him back, without a doubt,” Russini concluded. “But I believe there is a future in which Minnesota knows that they may need to move on. It may not be the best business decision for them to remain with Kirk. Kirk is a good businessman. He’s made it apparent that he likes Minnesota. He has shown us on Instagram. He has shown us on [the Netflix show]. They love it. That being said, I don’t believe it matters.
O’Connell told KFXN-FM Tuesday that “we want him to be a Viking,” but also admitted to the media the necessity for a backup plan if Kirk leaves.