This week, Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, leaving the Minnesota Vikings to pick up the pieces.
Explaining what transpired and their plans for moving forward following the loss of their quarterback to free agency are all part of the process. The Vikings are adopting a rather combative posture in the wake of Cousins’ departure, telling the gathered media that they weren’t taken aback by his choice to walk.
When asked if he and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were in agreement regarding negotiations with Cousins, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell responded, “There was total alignment with, not only going into the process, but how everything played out,” on Thursday. From the perspective of our arrangement with Kirk, everyone is aware of how this organization—including myself, Kwesi—feels about him. Things simply don’t work out sometimes.
“Knowing that our plan is in place and being in harmony with it is crucial.” Although Kwesi used the term “contingency plans,” those are all conversations, options, and directions we can go in a very, very crucial situation. Even though I would have preferred to have Kirk here, where we are now is the best course of action for our squad going ahead.”
The Vikings’ only option is to proceed, and many anticipate that part of that will involve looking for a new quarterback in the draft. Adofo-Mensah wouldn’t commit to it, but he also wouldn’t promise that their new quarterback, Sam Darnold, a former third-overall choice in 2018, will succeed Cousins.
Adofo-Mensah described Darnold as a quarterback on the team with a one-year contract. “I’m not going to label him a bridge quarterback,” Adofo-Mensah added. “The position is really about how to manage Kevin’s offensive in the end. When the play is absent, how do you overcome? Various skill sets are required for the position. That’s the way we assess things. The actual contract is a set of leave-or-stay options.”
