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Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings are set to go over important decisions in the upcoming weeks. Now that the season has ended for the franchise, they need to decide whether they want to have the veteran quarterback back - and if they do, a new deal would have to be signed.
Kirk Cousins will be a free agent, which means he can sign with any team in March. Before the 2023 season, there was an expectation that this would be his last season in a Vikings jersey; however, his excellent play before his injury has led to plenty of speculation about a possible return.
After the end of the season, the quarterback stated that he's hopeful to return to Minnesota, but that's not all about the money involved in the deal when asked if he'd take a hometown discount:
"That's a great question and one I've thought about pretty much my whole 12 years," Cousins said. "I do think it's important to be aware of. I think that God has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams. So at this stage in my career, the dollars are really not what it's about. The structure is probably more important. Everything that isn't the dollars. That stuff you also work through."
Kirk Cousins injury update
The quarterback continues to recover from his torn Achilles suffered in Week 8, which derailed the Vikings' season after they put together an impressive comeback following a torrid 1-5 start to the year. Kirk Cousins is expected to be fully healthy for the 2024 season.
It's more a question of how much the Minnesota Vikings are willing to pay him to stay. A few contract extensions are coming for the team, most notably Justin Jefferson, and the salary cap will be an interesting question. Still, breaking the duo would represent a questionable decision for every fan.
Kirk Cousins has been playing as an above-average quarterback for much of the time, and in 2023, his level was really high during the first half of the season prior to his injury. His return would provide a massive boost for Kevin O'Connell in his third season as the head coach.
