Kirk Cousins reportedly suffered devastating injury in Week 8

Nov 14, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) sets to throw a pass in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings will have to prepare for life without Kirk Cousins.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday that the Vikings quarterback Cousins has suffered a torn Achilles tendon. An MRI will be taken to confirm the news.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged after Sunday’s game that Cousins was indeed being evaluated for an Achilles injury of some sort.

The four-time Pro Bowler Cousins had to exit the team’s 24-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers with a non-contact injury in the second half. Given how the injury looked at the time, a major Achilles injury indeed would not be a surprise.

In 12 NFL seasons, Cousins has never missed a game due to injury (only once missing a game in 2022 due to COVID-19 protocols). Cousins is 35 years old now and will be a free agent after the season, casting major doubt on where his NFL career goes from here. Meanwhile, the 4-4 Vikings will be forced to turn to rookie backup Jaren Hall, who finished Sunday’s game in relief of Cousins.