Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell 'excited to coach' Kirk Cousins in 2022

EAGAN, Minn. — Kirk Cousins is part of the Minnesota Vikings' plans for the 2022 season. At least for right now.

Speaking at his introductory news conference on Thursday, four days after helping lead the Los Angeles Rams to a win in Super Bowl LVI, new Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said he anticipates Cousins will continue to be the quarterback in Minnesota despite questions surrounding his future.

«Well, I know he's under contract and I'm excited to coach him,» O'Connell said. «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 that we have, our 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.»

Sitting beside O'Connell during Thursday's news conference at team headquarters, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reiterated O'Connell's stance.

«I'm excited that he's excited to coach him and lead him, and we're focused on building the team around him to set us up to succeed the best we can,» Adofo-Mensah said.

Cousins is entering the final year of the $66 million extension he signed in 2020, which comes with a $45 million cap hit, the third highest of any player in the NFL. Speculation has been building that the Vikings could opt to move on from the QB this offseason via a trade due to the financial restraints Cousins contract puts on Minnesota's salary cap after the team failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back years.

The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for the 2022 season became guaranteed last March, three years after Cousins signed a historic three-year, $84 million fully