Now that we know the Atlanta Falcons are releasing Kirk Cousins, it feels like he already has a plan in place about his next chapter. There's been talk about him retiring to take a job in TV, but all signs point to Captain Kirk wanting to continue his NFL career by making his return to a place he's called home.
It seems written in the stars that Cousins will want to return to the Minnesota Vikings and push J.J. McCarthy for Minnesota's starting job. As it stands currently, that would probably be the best course of action for a player whose career is on its last legs, even if other teams are likely to be interested.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that Cousins' approach to his looming free agency could be different to other veteran free agent QBs. While the Vikings are still the team to watch, he is in no rush to sign a new deal, especially since the Falcons are still paying him, which will likely lower his price tag.
""Maybe that’s the Vikings. Maybe it’s the Colts if something happens with Daniel Jones. Maybe it’s nobody for a while, and Cousins waits the market out, or even for a potential training camp injury over the summer.""Albert Breer
Obviously, Breer mentioned Vikings as a potential destination for Cousins, he also mentioned the Colts due to the uncertainty surrounding Daniel Jones' recovery. However, Breer also said the 38-year-old could be willing to wait out the market and capitalize on a potential training camp injury.
Kirk Cousins' looming free agency is going to be harder to predict than Falcons fans expect
The 38-year-old has often referred to Minnesota as "home" in the past, so for the sake of familarity, returning to the Vikings makes sense. McCarthy has been horrible and they have too much talent on offense to be held back by QB woes that have lasted since they let Sam Darnold leave last offseason.
Not only has he spent time in Kevin O'Connell's system and knows what to expect, he could provide McCarthy with some mentorship to help get him on the right track, just like he did with Michael Penix Jr. And Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison would likely prefer having Cousins starting over "Nine".
As far as what transition would make the most sense for Cousins and his family, Minnesota is probably it. They already know (and love) the area and since he isn't getting any younger, thinking about what's best for his family both on and off the field is something Kirko should keep in mind.
All we know for sure is that a return to the Dirty Birds is not in the cards, so hopefully he succeeds elsewhere and gets the reunion he's clearly been waiting for.