Kirk Cousins Rumors: Vikings 'Not Out of It' as Falcons Rank QB as 'No. 1 Target'

The Minnesota Vikings "are still in the game" for quarterback Kirk Cousins, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler cited a source from the Vikings who said, ""We're not out of it."

The Atlanta Falcons have been linked with Cousins, with Fowler adding he's "believed to be the Falcons' No. 1 target." However, Dan Graziano of ESPN reported a reunion with Minnesota remains on the table.

"As of the end of this week, Cousins and the Vikings were still talking, and while Minnesota hasn't gotten its offer to the point Cousins wants it, I get the sense the Vikings are still very much in this thing," he wrote.

Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported the Vikings will expect to hear from Cousins about his decision by Sunday night:

Re-signing Cousins is the optimal outcome for Minnesota due to a dearth of realistic alternatives.

The four-time Pro Bowler is the best free agent at his position, and none of the other top QBs on the open market (Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson, Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett) inspires a wealth of confidence.

With the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Vikings can't count on having one of the best signal-callers in the class land in their laps, either. USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy were all projected to go within the first eight picks in Bleacher Report's newest mock draft.

And there isn't an obvious internal candidate to succeed Cousins, not after the Vikings cycled through three different quarterbacks (Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall) following his season-ending Achilles injury.

Cousins doesn't come without some risks.

It's not as though mobility was a facet of his skill set, but a major Achilles injury for a QB in his mid-30s presents an obvious concern. And even before the injury, Cousins was unable to get Minnesota beyond the NFC divisional round.

Still, failing to secure his return would probably leave the front office scrambling this offseason.