Kirk Cousins returning to Vikings picking up steam as free agency approaches

After it seemed like he was basically already out the door, a recent report has revealed that Kirk Cousins re-signing with the Vikings is still very possible.

Coming out of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, most of the takeaways involving Kirk Cousins centered around him leaving the Minnesota Vikings this offseason to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.

This has led many to assume that Cousins is highly likely to agree to a deal with the Falcons on Monday when teams around the NFL are allowed to negotiate contract terms with pending free agents who spent the 2023 season outside of their organization.

On Sunday, however, the idea of the veteran quarterback actually returning to the Vikings this year gained some major steam.

Minnesota Vikings reportedly "still have a shot" to re-sign Kirk Cousins

With the time for Minnesota to re-sign Cousins before he can negotiate a deal with another team quickly fading away, ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler revealed on Sunday that the quarterback ending up elsewhere this offseason isn't exactly a guarantee.

Graziano shared the following about Cousins' future.

"As of the end of this week, Cousins and the Vikings were still talking, and while Minnesota hasn't gotten its offer to the point Cousins wants it, I get the sense the Vikings are still very much in this thing.

...He could absolutely leave if he doesn't get what he wants in a contract, and Atlanta lurks as a possible -- even likely -- destination if that happens. But until the league year opens, the Vikings still have a shot to keep him off the market."

Fowler then revealed what he has heard about the quarterback during the last few days.

"The Vikings are still in the game for Cousins. One team source said, 'We're not out of it,' while another told me it feels like a 50-50 proposition."

Based on what these two shared on Sunday, it seems like Cousins might have realized that his market as a 35-year-old quarterback coming off of a torn Achilles isn't as strong as he thought it was going to be.

The assumption has been that Cousins is looking for his next contract to be a multi-year deal that is fully guaranteed for at least the next two seasons.

It's possible that he could land a new contract like this, but judging from Graziano and Fowler revealing that the Vikings are still in contention to re-sign him, it seems as though the quarterback probably hasn't been happy with the offers that the Falcons or any other team have proposed to him this offseason.

We're definitely going to know in the very near future who Cousins is playing for during the 2024 season, especially since The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis shared on Sunday that the quarterback is expected to let Minnesota know by the end of Sunday night whether or not he intends to explore free agency this year.

Will Cousins and the Vikings be able to agree to a new contract before Monday, or will the veteran quarterback opt to see if any other team is willing to give him the type of deal that he is hoping to land this offseason?