New Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell on how Kirk Cousins fits into Minnesota's 2022 plans

The Minnesota Vikings have officially hired Kevin O’Connell as the team’s next head coach. Now that O’Connell is in place, attention has shifted to whether or not the Vikings will stick with Kirk Cousins at quarterback next season.

Next season is the final year of Cousins’ current contract with the Vikings. He is set to earn a $35 million base salary, and will hold a $45 million cap hit. Cousins is due to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2022 season.

In O’Connell’s introductory press conference, he said that Cousins is currently part of his plans for the Vikings offense.

“Well I know he’s under contract and I’m excited to coach him,” O’Connel said when asked if he can say if Cousins will be the Vikings quarterback next season. “We’ve already started thinking about how we’re going to build those systems for him and our other quarterbacks and really the tremendous skill group we have, the guys up front. It takes all 11 to move the football on offense, to run it, to throw it, to score points in the red zone.

“But I’m anticipating Kirk being a part of what we do.”

If the Vikings do stick with Cousins at quarterback, it will reunite him and O’Connell. The two have experience working with each other, back from when they were both with Washington in 2017. O’Connell was Washington’s quarterbacks coach at the time, while Cousins was in his sixth and final season with the team. That year, Cousins threw for 4,093 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

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Cousins has been in the NFL for ten years. He was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the same draft where Washington selected Robert Griffin III. Cousins began his career as Griffin’s backup, but became Washington’s starting quarterback in 2015. In six years with Washington, he threw for 16,206 yards with 99 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.

Cousins hit free agency after the 2017 season, and he signed with the Vikings. Since coming to Minnesota, Cousins has led the team to a 33-29-1 record, throwing for 16,387 yards, 124 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions. He has been a Pro Bowl selection in two of the last three seasons. The Vikings have made the playoffs once with Cousins under center, with that appearance coming in 2019.

After a playing career that spanned from 2008-2012, O’Connell began his coaching career as the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach in 2015. He then went to the San Francisco 49ers for one season before joining Washington’s staff. After coaching Washington’s quarterbacks in 2017, O’Connell added passing game coordinator to his title in 2018. In 2019, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. O’Connell left for the Rams in 2020, becoming the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. He just won a Super Bowl with the Rams.