Kirk Cousins on Future With Vikings, Aaron Rodgers, Wife's Dreams of Super Bowl Return

Injured Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins appeared on Adam Schefter's podcast this week and said interesting things regarding a number of different topics. Here are some of the highlights...

What he thought when he tore his Achilles

Cousins was playing some of the best football of his life when he tore his Achilles at Lambeau Field in Week 8, the first major injury he's ever had in the NFL or even college.

"One thought went through my head — will I ever play football again?" Cousins said. "I'm an older guy, Achilles, I'm a free agent, is there a market? I didn't know. I believe I will and I believe it'll be there, but you wonder, and you did in that moment."

Cousins turns 36 next August, but he should have no difficulty getting a large contract to be someone's starting quarterback in 2024. It's just unclear where that will be.

"I do believe there's probably my best football still up ahead of me," he said. "But I've gotta go prove that with the way I heal up and the way I play up ahead."

Desire to return to Minnesota

Cousins has been consistent over the years in saying that he'd love to spend the rest of his career with the Vikings. He reiterated that idea when speaking with Schefter.

"I would love to be back in Minnesota," Cousins said. "Hopefully we can make that happen. Tends to be more of a February, March conversation. When we get to late February, the (NFL) Combine, March, try to see how 2024's going to shake out."

The Vikings might also want Cousins back, but it'll come down to the price that he's looking for in negotiations as a free agent.

His recovery

Three days after the injury, Cousins underwent surgery in Minnesota. He was then in a hard cast for two weeks, moving around on a scooter. Eventually, he moved into a walking boot and started getting back into the Vikings' facility for rehab. Cousins has remained active in team meetings and hopes to be back on the sidelines for a game soon.

These days, Cousins is walking gingerly and feels like he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. There's no specific timeline, but he thinks he's on the right track.

"The next time I meet with the surgeon will probably be late January, early February, and he expects that to be making the transition from walking to jogging," Cousins said. "From there, eventually be able to put on a football cleat and make some more football movements."

"We have until next September, so there's no rush, but I would love to be back and miss as few practices in the spring as possible."

Talking to Aaron Rodgers

Cousins said he reached out to Aaron Rodgers, who famously tore his Achilles very early into the Jets' season opener this year, just a couple days after his own injury.

"I was just able to ask him about his rhythm, his routine, I wanted to hear his habits. How are you spending your time? What's your best use of time? What are the modalities that you've found to be really effective? It was just helpful. ... There's been minimal communication, but still some connection there. Fun to have a guy who's two months ahead of me. I can kind of have this road map to follow and learn from."

Cousins said he googled all the football players and other celebrities who have torn their Achilles and wrote out a power ranking on a whiteboard at the Vikings' facility, with the mythological hero Achilles himself topping the list.

Wife hoping for a Super Bowl return

There's been a lot of talk — most of it generated by Rodgers himself — about Rodgers coming back this season, which is no longer on the table (and maybe never was). Cousins' injury happening roughly seven weeks later meant there was never a chance he could play again in 2023, but that hasn't stopped his wife Julie from holding out hope that he could play in the Super Bowl if the Vikings get there.

"I said to my wife, well, if they make it to the Super Bowl without me, they're probably not going to want to play me in that game," Cousins said, laughing. "I'd be the first one there cheering them on and would love to get fitted for a ring, but I don't know that I'd be the one playing."

You can find the full Cousins interview on The Adam Schefter Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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