Vikings & Kirk Cousins Open To Reunion, Return To Falcons Also Possible

Alec Lewis and Ben Goessling both report that veteran QB Kirk Cousins would be open to returning to the Vikings next season.

They both add there’s mutual interest from the Vikings as well, as long as the circumstances align. Lewis notes Cousins will be evaluating the opportunity for playing time as much as anything else. 

Mike Garafolo reports that the door to a return to Atlanta also isn’t out of the question, even though the Falcons are expected to release Cousins before the start of the new league year after restructuring his contract.

Garafolo points out Cousins played for Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski with the Vikings and Stefanski had some interest in trading for Cousins last year when he was still with the Browns. Atlanta isn’t sure if QB Michael Penix Jr. will be recovered from his torn ACL in time for Week 1. 

Adam Schefter also notes that, given his new broadcasting career, retirement could still remain an option for Cousins if he doesn’t land a good shot at a starting job. 

According to Dianna Russini, Cousins could potentially reunite with the Vikings and compete with QB J.J. McCarthy for a starting role. Russini says a league source has speculated that Cousins would consider a return to Minnesota, given his history with the team and HC Kevin O’Connell.

Cousins and Atlanta mutually agreed to restructure the remaining two years of his deal, and if he remains on the roster on March 13th, the Falcons will owe him $67.9 million in 2027. He agreed to reduce his 2026 base salary from $35 million to $2.1 million. In return, there is a vesting guarantee of $67.9 million for the 2027 season due on March 13. 

By reducing Cousins’ base salary, the Falcons ensure they can get the benefit of a June 1 cut — spreading the dead money over two seasons instead of one — without waiting until June 1 for those savings to kick in. 

The guarantee is a protection for Cousins to ensure he’s released by that date. Cousins could still agree to a new deal before then, but given the regime change and how things transpired the past couple of years, it’s likely that both Atlanta and Cousins will welcome a fresh start in 2026.  Given the number of teams expected to be in the quarterback market, there’s a good chance Cousins can find another starting role. 

Cousins, 37, is a former fourth-round pick of Washington back in 2012. He played out the final year of his rookie contract before being franchised in back-to-back seasons. 

Cousins later departed in free agency for a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings. He was entering the final year of his contract in 2020 when he agreed to a two-year, $66 million contract extension. In 2021, he agreed to a new one-year, $35 million contract extension that was also fully guaranteed.

He was in the final year of that deal in 2023 and was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent when signing with the Falcons this offseason. He inked a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. 

In 2025, Cousins appeared in 10 games for the Falcons with eight starts and completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

We’ll have more on Cousins as the news is available.