NFL Rumors: Minnesota Vikings Fear Season-Ending Injury for Quarterback Kirk Cousins

The Minnesota Vikings dominated their division rivals the Green Bay Packers 24-10 on Sunday, but they may have paid a devastating price. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins has suffered a torn Achilles and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles today, per source. An MRI will be taken to confirm.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2023

More about the Minnesota Vikings bracing for confirmation of a season-ending right Achilles tear for quarterback Kirk Cousins, an injury that will have cascading impact on the short- and long-term future of the organization.

More via @SeifertESPN:https://t.co/WTHmzjY7zR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2023

Cousins exited with a pronounced limp mid-way through the fourth quarter after building a 24-10 lead. He ended his day with 261 net passing yards on 33 dropbacks. He entered today averaging a career-best 293.9 passing yards per game.

Cousins' injury is another nightmare scenario for a 4-4 Vikings squad already without 2022 first-team All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The Vikings had done well to pull themselves out of an 0-3 hole to open the season, winning three of their last four games. With the trade deadline looming, they may be on the cusp of disassembling their roster and setting their franchise-building sights on 2024.

As for Cousins, he's in the final year of his deal and may very well have played his last down as a Viking. Assuming his recovery goes alright, he'll have value on the open market as a 35-year-old veteran with a Pro Bowl resume. He could fetch a contract somewhere between Jimmy Garoppolo's three-year, $72.75 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders and Derek Carr's four-year, $150 million pact with the New Orleans Saints

Cousins' future will be an intriguing offseason subplot, but ultimately, his time with the Vikings proved he'll hold back all but the most elite rosters from true contender status. The Vikings made a huge splash by adding him following a 2017 season that saw them finish 13-3 and make an NFC Championship game appearance, but they never approached that success with him at the helm. From 2018 to 2022, they never finished better than eighth in points scored and won only one of their three playoff appearances.