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.