Making the playoffs still isn't likely for the Minnesota Vikings this season, but their postseason odds got a slight boost on Thursday thanks to Kirk Cousins helping the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The former Vikings quarterback threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns as he helped the Falcons erase a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and walk off the field in Tampa Bay with a 29-28 victory.
In order for Minnesota to make the playoffs this season, they need a massive amount of help. Atlanta's victory only raised the Vikings' postseason chances by tenths of a percentage point, but it was the first step of many that the team hopes it gets to take all the way into the playoffs.
Where will former Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins play in 2026?
Including Thursday's game, Cousins is now 2-3 as a starter this season with a 62.6 completion percentage, 1,218 passing yards, six touchdown tosses, three interceptions, and an 86.3 passer rating.
All solid numbers, but the question is: how much longer does the 37-year-old former Minnesota signal-caller want to keep playing in the NFL?
After this season, Cousins has two years left on his current deal with Atlanta. However, he has a cap hit of $57.5 million in both 2026 and 2027, so the Falcons likely have to re-work his contract to lower those cap hits or move on from him in the upcoming offseason.
If Atlanta decides it's done with the Kirk Cousins Experience after the 2025 campaign, they can release him in 2026 and clear $22.5 million in cap space or trade him and create $32.5 million in cap room.
A decision about his future with the franchise will need to be made sooner rather than later by the Falcons, since a $10 million roster bonus for Cousins will become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year in March.
He's proven that he can still chuck the ball around at a solid level this season, so he should have some interest from a few teams if he becomes available in 2026. Given the significant knee injury that Michael Penix Jr. now has to recover from, however, Atlanta might be better off keeping Cousins around for at least one more year.