Kirk Cousins could return to the city where he got married in 2014, to resume his NFL career. Cousins’ devastating Achilles injury back in October 2023 in Green Bay will put him out of action until the current NFL season ends. But that may not be the only bad news for Minnesota Vikings fans. By the time the next season starts, Cousins could be seen taking the field for a different franchise as he is scheduled to become a free agent in March, ending his five-year stay with the Vikings. The rumor arrives at a time after Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear that he’d like to see Cousins come back this year on October 31st.

The Vikings QB was leading the league in passing yards before his season ended with a torn Achilles in week 8 in a 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers. The team felt the adverse effect and is still uncertain about a playoff berth going into week 18. It particularly hampers O’Connell‘s restoration process, who is currently trying to get the team back to its 2022 shape. And any side that gets its hands on the QB may turn out to be a big winner, but who will it be?

Falcons lurking around Kirk Cousins to fix quarterback problems

Out of many teams that could use Cousins’ services, the Atlanta Falcons could emerge as a strong contender to land him. With the team sitting at 7-9 which is an unlikely situation for them to make the playoffs, the Falcons could seek any upgrades from Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, who have both struggled at times this season for Atlanta. NFL Rumors have it that the Falcons are after Cousins this offseason.

Nothing specific about the rumor has been detailed, and either side is yet to confirm the news. But it may not be a wild assumption given the Falcons’ long-standing offensive problem. Not only this, Cousins also has ties to Atlanta.

The Vikings QB and his wife Julie were married in Atlanta in 2014. A move to the Falcons would be closer to Julie’s home for his family of four.

Atlanta finds itself in dire need of a quarterback after enduring years of instability at the position and could make the big move for Cousins. The prevailing sentiment, including reporter and anchor Darren Wolfson of KSTP, is that the $4.7 billion franchise is the “logical landing spot” if Cousins decides to part ways with the Vikings. Additionally, they may look out for a few other options to strengthen the squad. Contrary to the rumors, what do we know for sure? For starters, the Vikings certainly want him to stay. On October 31st, O’Connell was heard saying,

“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, you know, that hopefully will work itself out. . . . You guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk. I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League.”

Coach’s assuring words, at that point in time, came against the backdrop that the Vikings had not extended his contract, leading many within the industry to assume that they were willing to move forward without him after 2023. While the deal with Atlanta may turn out to be an absolute win for the NFC South side, could the Vikings come to an agreement with Cousins especially given their season mostly derailed this year due to the QB’s season-ending injury?

Falcons might need Kirk Cousins, but the Vikings need him more

The Falcons rank 18th in the league after week 17 in terms of total yards/game at 330.9. Subsequently, they are 22nd in passing yards/game (200.8), 9th in rushing yards/game (130.1), and a pretty unsatisfactory 26th on points/game (19.0). QB Desmond Ridder has been largely ineffective, and Cousins is someone who could pull the side out of the bottom layer.

But when the talk comes to the Vikings, it’s about bigger goals. They nearly ran for a conference title last year after a thunderous 13-4 regular season, 2 losses of which came within the final five weeks alone. But the Giants, often known for causing upsets, stopped the Vikings train in the Wild Card round. It would have been interesting to see how close they could’ve come this year to replicate the success, but Cousins’ injury has changed their trajectory.

With his free agent status in March, the Vikings could have a tough time replacing him. But according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, we might see Cousins with the Vikings for at least another year. He said, “Given what’s transpired now with Cousins, both he and the Vikings are much more receptive to a return in 2024, That could potentially mean a one-year contract, I’m told.”

The Falcons have to convince the QB as well as go through the entire bargaining process with the Vikings to get a green light on the deal. Where do you think Cousins will play next season?

Watch This Story: NFL Injury Report: Top Five NFL Injuries That Happened in 2023 and How They Impacted The League