There have been no real reports of Kirk Cousins wanting to be traded or the Minnesota Vikings wanting to move on from their quarterback. That hasn't stopped a few Cousins-to-49ers rumors from surfacing on social media. ESPN's Adam Schefter says that's all they are, though — rumors. Perhaps it's wishful thinking from a Vikings fanbase that would prefer to find another answer at quarterback.
Schefter was asked about the Cousins speculation this week on the Haberman & Middlekauff podcast.
"Yeah, there's been this Kirk Cousins talk, and I guess something could happen," Schefter told Guy Haberman and John Middlekauff, "but I haven't heard that's the case, so I don't know where that's coming from."
It's no secret that San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has been infatuated with Cousins since helping to get him drafted in Washington. He admits that, before the trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, the initial plan in San Francisco was to get to a point where they could acquire Cousins to be the team's quarterback. That was the blueprint.
"But again, what's happened in the last few weeks that all of a sudden Kirk Cousins is a part of this conversation?" asked Schefter.
"Probably the Niners not getting Stafford," Haberman responded. "At least, that's where it creates a Twitter conversation."
Schefter interrupted: "Look, anything's always possible, but Kirk Cousins redid his deal last summer. ... You keep saying it's kind of out there, and I'm saying, where is it out there?"
Middlekauff points out the ridiculousness of the rumors, stating that it's the internet and social media fueling the conversations.
"What does that mean? Who's reporting it that is credible?" Schefter asked. "I have not heard anything about Kirk Cousins being available. ... There are no absolutes in the league, anything is possible, but I have not heard anything about Kirk Cousins being available this offseason. We'll see if anything changes."
There you go, internet. Schefter says there is nothing to see here — for now.
The Cousins rumors never really did make much sense. Regardless of Shanahan's fondness for the quarterback, there has been no indication that the Vikings are considering a change, and they would have to have something better lined up to move on from Cousins. The quarterback had a pretty good season in 2020, passing for 4,265 yards, a career-high 35 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has missed just one game over the past six years, and that was because the Vikings' playoff position was locked in by Week 17 of the 2019 season, so he did not play.
The Vikings ranked No. 4 in total offense, No. 11 in scoring, and No. 14 in passing yards last season. The team's defense ranked No. 27 in total yards allowed, No. 29 in points allowed, No. 25 in passing yards allowed, and No. 27 in rushing yards allowed. That's what contributed to a seven-win season.
You can listen to the entire interview with Schefter below.
49ers OTAs: Trey Lance comments on offseason trade rumors; Shanahan on QB getting first-team reps
By David Bonilla
May 23
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been pleased with what he's seen from Trey Lance during these first two organized team activities (OTAs) practices. The third-year quarterback entered last season as the team's starting quarterback. An ankle injury during Week 2 ended that.
Now fully recovered, Lance is looking to prove himself to his coaches. The former No. 3 overall pick has taken all of the first-team reps during these two practices. However, Shanahan warns not to read too much into that.
"It'll even out," Shanahan said. "We'll make sure to get that right."
A reporter was already asking another question when Shanahan interrupted him to clear up a potential misconception about "first-team reps."
"And the first-team is kind of funny because
Rohan Chakravarthi and Jessie Naylor break down Day 1 of the San Francisco 49ers OTAs that was available to media.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our dedicated podcast page, on
Kyle Shanahan feels "really fortunate" with 49ers' QB room
By David Bonilla
May 24
Kyle Shanahan praises his quarterback room every year. Last season, the San Francisco 49ers went through three starting quarterbacks and still made it to the NFC Championship Game. Trey Lance was the Week 1 starter but suffered a season-ending ankle injury during his second game. Eleven weeks later, Jimmy Garoppolo sustained a broken foot.
That opened the door for rookie Brock Purdy to show his coaches and the NFL world that he belonged, despite being the last overall pick in the draft. Purdy guided the 49ers to eight consecutive wins before suffering a severe injury in that NFC title game matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Two of the quarterbacks from last season—Lance and Purdy—remain. Both are just 23 years old. They are joined by Sam
The San Francisco 49ers entered the offseason with several questions after key figures, such as Jimmie Ward, Mike McGlinchey, Samson Ebukam, and Charles Omenihu, departed in free agency, creating the possibility for position battles in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp.
While several of the starting spots are solidified, there are still a few position battles to watch, as well as depth questions that could allow younger players to compete and take 53-man roster spots at the end of the offseason.
Let's break down some of those battles to watch and how they could play out for the 49ers, outside of the obvious competition at
