The Vikings aren't committed to Cousins beyond 2023, as his recent restructure pushes more of the cap hit to future years without changing the length of the contract, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
What it means:
The team used void years rather than an extension, but another contract could still happen next offseason or even later this year. While the Vikings hope to find a young quarterback to develop behind their 34-year-old, long-time starter, there's no guarantee of finding the right player this spring or next, especially without the luxury of an early first-round pick. Minnesota's offense largely looks the same as last year through the first few days of the 2023 league year, with the exception of Adam Thielen leaving and blocking tight end Josh Oliver coming over from Baltimore. Quarterback and wide receiver are two of the positions Minnesota could target early in the 2023 draft, though in terms of filling short-term gaps it's the defense that needs more help. Either way, Cousins is year-to-year with the Vikings, which arguably was the case even before this offseason.
Cousins completed 31 of 39 pass attempts for 273 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 31-24 wild-card round loss to the Giants. He also punched in a one-yard touchdown on his lone rushing attempt.
What it means:
Cousins was dialed in throughout the contest, providing strong numbers for fantasy lineups despite taking the loss. The veteran signal-caller's day soured on the Vikings' final drive when he targeted a covered receiver for three yards on 4th-and-8, effectively turning the ball over and ending Minnesota's Super Bowl hopes. The 34-year-old finished the regular season with 4,547 passing yards and a 29:14 TD:INT ratio, numbers that should keep him ranked in the upper third of fantasy quarterbacks as we look towards next year. Cousins and his top offensive weapons are all under contract for 2023, so this core will attempt to run it back with a deeper playoff run next season.
Cousins completed 17 of 20 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 29-13 win over the Bears.
What it means:
Cousins' output came despite him only playing the first half of Sunday's game. With Minnesota preparing for the playoffs, backup Nick Mullens filled in while Cousins was rested after halftime. In the wake of a poor performance in Green Bay last weekend, Cousins' improvement Sunday -- when he set a season high for completion percentage -- should help his confidence heading into the postseason.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell intimated Friday that Cousins and other key starters on offense and defense may not play the entirety of the Vikings' Week 18 game in Chicago, Joe Nelson of SI.com reports. "We've got a pretty clear cut plan with how we want to go about the whole game, but we're going to go in with the expectation of our guys going and try to get off to a good start and play good football," O'Connell said.
What it means:
Minnesota is assured no worse than the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs regardless of how this weekend's games transpire, but since the Vikings will need a win over the Bears plus a Cardinals win over the heavily-favored 49ers to climb to the No. 2 seed, O'Connell may not have much incentive to expose key players to an injury heading into the wild-card round. While Cousins and all of the Vikings' other starting skill-position players look poised to play at least one series, the uncertainty of whether they'll play much beyond makes it tough to rely on any in Week 18 season-long or DFS lineups.
Cousins completed 18 of 31 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions in Sunday's 41-17 loss to the Packers. He added 37 rushing yards and three carries.
What it means:
It was a rough day for the entire Vikings offense at Lambeau Field, as Cousins lost two offensive linemen in injuries during the game and had little time or space in which to operate. He was replaced by Nick Mullens late in the rout, as the Vikings prioritized keeping Cousins healthy ahead of the playoffs, and with nothing but seeding to play for in Week 18 against the Bears, it wouldn't be surprising if Mullens got the start.
Cousins completed 34 of 48 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday's 27-24 win over the Giants.
What it means:
While the veteran QB didn't quite manage to throw for 400 yards, or even 300, for a third straight game, Cousins still tossed three more touchdowns, giving him a 13:3 TD:INT over the last five contests. He's reached 4,000 passing yards for the third straight season and the seventh time in the last eight years, and Cousins will take massive momentum into a Week 17 clash with the Packers.