Kirk Cousins has torn Achilles, Minnesota Vikings confirm
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has a torn Achilles, the team said Monday.
The Vikings said Cousins underwent an MRI Monday morning that confirmed the tear.
"The timeline and details of his upcoming surgery will be determined this week," the Vikings said.
Cousins suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers. He hopped off the field before being carted back to the locker room. Shortly after that, the Vikings ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
"Kirk Cousins loves playing this game," head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Monday. "Takes a lot of pride in playing this game and being as durable as he's been throughout his career so this is new for him."
O'Connell said Cousins would still be a part of team leadership, "a part of our offense, a part of our plans."
Fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall relieved Cousins and went 3/4 for 23 yards. The offense didn't do much after Cousins left, but the defense held strong to preserve the 24-10 win.
"If he ends up being the guy, every guy on our roster has confidence in Jaren," O'Connell said.
The Vikings are now 4-4 and firmly in the playoff hunt, but with their starting QB out and no clear replacement, the future looks uncertain. That goes for the long-term outlook as well, as Cousins is scheduled to be a free agent after this season.
After starting 1-4, the Vikings looked sunk, particularly after star wide receiver Justin Jefferson went on injured reserve. But after a three-game winning streak — and with Jefferson eligible to return after one more game, though the Vikings haven't given a timeline for his recovery — things were looking much sunnier before Cousins' injury.
O'Connell was visibly downtrodden in his postgame press conference on Sunday.
"Every single player in our locker room thinking about our leader, our guy right now," O'Connell said. "Just so proud of him, proud of the way he's played all season long. Whatever the case, if we don't have him for one snap or for the duration of our season that will not change the fact of what I believe Kirk Cousins, the level he played to this year and ultimately what he's meant to me and our organization."
The Vikings are on the road again this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons. It will mark just the third game Cousins has missed since taking over as the Vikings' QB in 2018.
Cousins' injury is the same one New York jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered in week one of the regular season. Rodgers will miss the entire regular season, the Jets have said.