Former Vikings QB Breaks Silence On Unusual Situation During Minicamp

One time Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins made a slightly surprising move on Monday when he decided to report to mandatory minicamp with the Atlanta Falcons.

And now, on day two of mandatory minicamp, Cousins spoke to the media about his current situation in Atlanta, where he remains the second stringer despite signing a lucrative 4 year, $180 million deal last offseason.

Speaking on Tuesday, the four time Pro Bowler had some complementary words to say about the Falcons’s new starting QB, Michael Penix Jr., and explained what his role would be behind him going into this season.

Kirk Cousins Speaks To The Media At Minicamp On Tuesday?

“Michael’s gonna do great”, Cousin remarked on Tuesday, “He’s gonna have a great career. He’s off to a great start. He’s got all the tangibles and intangibles you need to be successful and I’m just here to support him as he needs it.”

He then elaborated further on the specifics of his complex situation, in which poor form during back half of the 2024 – that many believe may have been the result of him coming off a torn Achilles mid way through the 2023 season – landed him on the bench, despite Atlanta having the bulk of his exorbitant contract remaining.

“I’ve always believed, going back to my rookie year what [Cousins’ first head coach in Washington] Mike Shanahan told me, which is that ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people do'” Cousins continued, “It’s not just physically tough, its mentally tough, emotionally tough. You gotta be resilient, life’s gonna have some curveballs and you just have to keep move. And I think the key is that you don’t pout or stop you just keep moving, keep working forward and believe that if you do that good things will happen.”

And then asked as to whether he would like to be a starter, Cousins gave a measured but clear response.

“Obviously, you would love to play, but I’m not going to dwell on things that aren’t reality. That’s not the situation I’m in, so it’s better to be focused on the situation I’m in and control what I can control. I think that’s the right mindset to have.”

Cousins Avoiding ‘Drama’ In The Quarterback Room

Per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, Raheem Morris noted that Cousins has been nothing but professional since his return to team activities after staying out for the optional portions in May and early June.

“I am really comfortable with Kirk because of who he is, the character, the person,” Morris said on Tuesday. “We don’t worry about those things with Kirk. He’s going to go out and do whatever it takes to help this football team as long as he’s with us, and he’s with us. It’s been a less dramatic situation than it is from an outside-the-building standpoint.”

Things seem calm with Cousins and the rest of the Falcons brass for the time being. It’ll be interesting to see if, eventually, the quarterback makes a bigger push to land a starting role elsewhere during the twilight years of his playing career.