Kirk Cousins’ stunning departure this offseason marked the culmination of the new Minnesota Vikings regime’s squad retooling, surprising Adam Thielen.
After being cut by the Vikings the previous season, Thielen entered the offseason with a clear perspective on the business side of the NFL. Even so, he believed Cousins would not abandon Minnesota despite having a terrific start to the 2023 season before rupturing his Achilles in Week 8.
About Cousins’ exit, Thielen stated, “I didn’t expect it from an outside perspective because of how well he played last year and him coming into his own of being that leader,” during an episode of the Star Tribune’s “Access Vikings” podcast that aired on May 8.
About Cousins’ exit, Thielen stated, “I didn’t expect it from an outside perspective because of how well he played last year and him coming into his own of being that leader,” during an episode of the Star Tribune’s “Access Vikings” podcast that aired on May 8. “I felt like that was the first time in his career that he really put himself out there, played at a high level, and was himself.”
The Vikings, fresh off an appearance in the NFC Championship game, had all their chips in for a championship run when Cousins arrived in Minnesota.
They had an offense that was developing with Pro Bowl talent like Dalvin Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Stefon Diggs, and Thielen, and they had the best defense in the league.
The Vikings’ window was fading, though, and they had to split ways with a number of veterans in the 2020 offseason in order to keep Cousins around after they failed to win the NFC title the following two years.
Over the course of the previous two years, the new administration tore off the Band-Aid, dismissing well-known players like Eric Kendricks, Cook, and Thielen before calling it quits on the Cousins era this offseason.
The Atlanta Falcons prevailed in the bidding battle by proposing a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed in the first two years, but the Vikings made a “serious offer” for Cousins to continue with the organization in 2024, according to owner/president Mark Wilf of the Vikings.
In his next contract, Cousins stressed that “structure,” or the level of security and guarantees included in the agreement, would be his first focus. However, Cousins’ decision to move on was partly influenced by the Vikings’ openness about selecting a rookie quarterback in the first round. Following the Falcons’ eighth-round selection of Michael Penix Jr., he was doomed to that destiny in Atlanta.
After everything has settled down, though, Thielen—a lifelong Vikings supporter before he was even a professional football player—said he appreciated the direction the new ownership had taken the franchise in its future.
In Thielen’s opinion, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell have done a fantastic job positioning themselves for the future and having a clear vision. They had a very clear idea of where they wanted to go even in my final year there.
