When Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2024 offseason, it seemed like his time with the Minnesota Vikings had officially come to an end, and his NFL career would come to a close in a different uniform.
However, after it was recently reported that the Falcons plan to move on from him this year, and the fact that the Vikings are in need of a more experienced quarterback to pair with J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota has been floated as a possible Cousins landing spot this offseason.
Recently, Cousins joined Sports Illustrated for an interview, and he shared what he would say to fans who want to see him back in a Vikings uniform.
"I kind of keep an open mind. Those conversations with the Falcons will happen in March and [we'll] kind of see where it all goes. But I've learned through my 14 years that anything can happen.
I don't really know what to expect. I think what I've learned is to not try to predict or say what I think is gonna happen, and who knows where it goes."
How much might it cost the Minnesota Vikings to sign Kirk Cousins in 2026?
If Cousins returns to Minnesota this year, it's safe to say he's not going to be anywhere near as expensive as he was during his first tenure with the franchise.
When Cousins first signed with the Vikings in 2018, he was handed a three-year, fully guaranteed $84 million contract. In six seasons with Minnesota, he earned a total of $185 million (around $30.8 per year).
With Atlanta last season, Cousins had a cap hit of $40 million, which accounted for 14.1 percent of the team's entire salary cap in 2025. Wherever he lands this offseason, one can assume his 2026 cap hit isn't going to be anywhere near $40 million.
Instead, Cousins will more likely end up with a contract that pays him the same or less than what Aaron Rodgers got from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 ($13.65 million) and more than what Russell Wilson got from the New York Giants last season ($10.5 million).
If the Vikings view that as an affordable amount to pay Cousins in 2026, then expect them to be serious contenders to sign him whenever he is eventually released by the Falcons this offseason.