A little more than a year after leaving the Minnesota Vikings to sign a lucrative contract with the Atlanta Falcons, Kirk Cousins might actually find his way back with the purple and gold. Well, at least the odds of Cousins returning to the Vikings this year got higher after another free-agent quarterback came off the board on Friday.
Veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco, who many believed was a realistic option to sign with Minnesota, is no longer available to be the team's No. 2 quarterback next season after he signed a deal with the Cleveland Browns on Friday.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Flacco and the Browns reportedly agreed to a one-year contract that will pay him $4 million. That's definitely a deal that the Vikings could have afforded, but they clearly have other plans when it comes to finding a veteran quarterback to be J.J. McCarthy's backup next season.
Chance of Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota Vikings higher after Joe Flacco signs with Cleveland Browns
In addition to Flacco signing with Cleveland, veteran quarterback Josh Johnson's tenure in free agency this year also came to an end on Friday after he reportedly signed a deal with the Washington Commanders, according to ESPN's John Keim.
So, with two more free-agent quarterbacks finding new homes, the list of potential QB2 options for Minnesota continues to get smaller and smaller, and this is only good news for Cousins if he wants to be back in a Vikings uniform next season.
But is that a relationship that Minnesota wants to get back into? Would it be the smartest idea for the Vikings to bring back someone that fans might call for next season if McCarthy experiences any sort of struggles?
Out of the possibilities to be Minnesota's No. 2 quarterback for 2025, Cousins is certainly one of the better remaining options. But when it comes to their former starter, there are a lot more things that the Vikings have to consider than just his on-field ability before making a decision about bringing him back.