NFL Free Agency predictions: See which team has best odds to land QB Kirk Cousins in 2024 offseason

The Minnesota Vikings finished last season with a 7-10 record and in third place in the NFC North. The Vikings’ season was thrown for a loop as starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in Week 8 and was forced to miss the remainder of the season. This left Minnesota scrambling, and they started three separate QBs down the stretch, with none of them inspiring much confidence.

Cousins and the Vikings started slowly with three straight losses to open the 2023 campaign. They earned a much-needed win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, before a seven-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs the next week. Cousins and Minnesota then rattled off three straight wins before his injury in Week 8. He finished with 2,331 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Minnesota acquired Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals and he looked great with little prep against the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. Dobbs’ luck ran out, and things didn’t improve much when the Vikes tried to use a combination of Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens. Despite his being hurt, Cousins is absolutely a better option under center than both Hall and Mullens, who are the two remaining QBs on the roster heading into the offseason. It’s no surprise that Minnesota has the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to be the team Cousins takes his first snaps in 2024 with at -200.

Cousins has played 12 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. After spending six years with the franchise, Cousins signed in free agency with Minnesota in 2018 and has been with the team ever since. The Vikings’ best finish with Cousins under center was in 2019 when they beat the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round (Minnesota Miracle with Stefon Diggs) but lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round.

Cousins likely doesn’t have much left in the tank and is already well-established in Minnesota. There are some quarterback-needy teams out there, though, but do they give him that much better of a chance to win a Super Bowl?

The Atlanta Falcons (+300) have the second-best odds to land Cousins. The Falcons competed in the NFC South this year and are likely a better team than their second straight 7-10 season suggests. Atlanta likely would have won the NFC South with a competent quarterback and could have made some noise at least early in the playoffs. Maybe it is faith in new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, but this feels like it would be a lateral move.

With the way the AFC East and AFC West project next season, there isn’t much reason for Cousins to sign with the New England Patriots or the Las Vegas Raiders. The Tennessee Titans need to address other needs and adding Cousins with a lack of dominant players around him shouldn’t be too appealing. If the Washington Commanders decide not to take a top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, seeing Cousins in that offense alongside Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and a theoretical top rookie wideout would be fun but likely still not enough to move the Super Bowl likelihood needle. It feels like Atlanta or a return to Minnesota is what we see happen.