Vikings' Mike Zimmer: Kirk Cousins Is 'Our Guy' Despite 49ers Trade Rumors

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Friday the team isn't going to trade quarterback Kirk Cousins during the offseason despite recent rumors.

"Kirk's our guy," Zimmer said on NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "You know, he had a terrific year this year. We were fourth in the league on offense. We have to get better on defense—we had a lot of injuries and young guys—that's my job to get it fixed."

Evan Massey of the NFL Analysis Network reported the San Francisco 49ers were a potential suitor for Cousins, who worked with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan for two years during their time with the Washington Football Team.

However, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on The Haberman and Middlekauff Podcast (h/t Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area) he had "not heard anything about Kirk Cousins being available."

The 32-year-old Michigan State product became a target of criticism after struggling during the early stages of the 2020 season. He recorded five touchdowns and six interceptions over the first three games, including a three-pick outing in a 28-11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2.

It's been common for the two-time Pro Bowl selection to go through at least one rough stretch during a season, but his year-end numbers are typically strong, as was the case again in 2020.

Cousins completed 67.6 percent of his throws for 4,265 yards with 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while playing in all 16 games. He ranked eighth in the NFL with a 105.0 passer rating and received a strong 83.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

While the Vikings failed to make the playoffs with a 7-9 record, much of that responsibility falls on their 27th-ranked defense, not the fourth-ranked offense.

Cousins appeared on Monday's Good Morning Football and said there were some "positive things" during the season, but he also noted the end result wasn't good enough.

"Well, it's about wins and losses, so you start there," he said. "We went 7-9, so there's a lot of room for improvement. I'm encouraged by how many young players played this past season, and I think in 2021 that will pay dividends both on defense and offense."

The Illinois native is under contract with Minnesota through 2022 as part of a two-year, $66 million deal.

A Cousins trade always seemed like a long shot, and the information that's come out since the initial report continues to suggest that's the case.