Vikings Plan to Sit Kirk Cousins Through Preseason, Pending Joint Practice Performance

Kirk Cousins got on KFAN radio for a 10-minute interview with Dan Barreiro on Monday around supper time. The discussion got awkward, at times, as Barreiro asked his usual bag of difficult questions and Cousins tried harder than ever to evade answers that might compromise a future game plan or anger any current or former teammates.

Will Kirk Cousins play in the preseason?

But Cousins all but gave away the answer to one question that’s been floating around Minnesota Vikings fans and media members recently. Will the 11-year veteran step on the field for any of the team’s three preseason games. According to Kirk, Kevin O’Connell’s plan currently calls for him to sit the preseason out but plans could change, depending on how their joint practices with the Tennessee Titans (this week) and the Arizona Cardinals (next week) unfold.

Barreiro: “I’m assuming you aren’t going to play at all during the preseason, is that fair to say?”

Cousins: “Yeah, I think we’re kind of week-to-week. I don’t think Kevin wants to be held down to anything. But the key is these joint practices with the Titans and Cardinals. That we get a lot out of those four days (two with each team). So, that’s really where the focus is. Those two practices each week have to be really strong to get the work we need. If we can get to the end of those practices and feel like we got what we needed out of them, I think that’s where Kevin [O’Connell] is heading.”

Dan Barreiro Show – KFAN

It’s possible the Vikings play Kirk Cousins on Saturday night, in the team’s 2nd preseason game vs the Titans, should O’Connell find himself disappointed with what the offense shows during joint practice Wednesday and Thursday (also vs the Titans).

Sitting Cousins makes the most sense.

Still, I imagine things would have to go pretty poorly for the Vikings to parlay a frustrating joint practice into a Kirk Cousins appearance on Saturday night, in a much less controllable environment, just 50-ish hours later. And if Kirk doesn’t play in the 2nd preseason game, I highly doubt we’ll see him in the preseason finale vs Arizona next weekend. Especially after they do two more joint practices with them earlier in the week.

Clearly, coaches across the league would rather get work in for their most important starters through joint practices with opposing teams. The strategy makes sense. This way, they can blow the whistle to stop play or make a change instead of the entire event play out with strict rules like a preseason game.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan