Vikings Teammates React to Kirk Cousins Achilles Injury with Shock, Concern and Prayers

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The Minnesota Vikings may have won on Sunday, in their game against the Green Bay Packers, but they lost a lot more than they gained, when their leader and elite quarterback, Kirk Cousins, went down for the season with an Achilles tear in the 4th quarter.

Kevin O’Connell reacts to Kirk Cousins Achilles injury

After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell gave an update on Kirk’s condition and expressed his appreciation for the QB who has meant so much to the Vikings’ success in 2022 and keeping their season afloat in 2023.

“I’m thinking of Kirk, our locker room every single player in our locker room, you know, thinking about our leader, our guy, right now. I’m just so proud of him; proud of the way he’s played all season long and, you know, whatever is the case, if we don’t have him for one snap or for the duration of our season, that will not change the fact of what I believe Kirk cousins to the level he played to, this year, and ultimately what he’s meant to me and our organization.”

Minnesota Vikings teammates react to Cousins injury

In the Vikings locker room, after the win in Lambeau, vibes felt a lot more like a loss. Some teammates, tried to display any semblance of a “next man up” mentality. But others were more honest with how devastating the loss is to the team’s leadership core and their chances of winning, going forward.

Garrett Bradbury: “It was just weird. You know, whenever the Vikings are out there, Kirk’s out there, you know? So, like I said, we’ll wait and see and umm, I’m impressed with the way Jaren [Hall] stepped in.”

KJ Osborn: “Of course, man. I mean, that’s the whole team, though. You know, if our guy’s out, you know, that’s that’s the whole team. But again, we got our fingers crossed, but we try to play to that standard, you know, regardless, you know, of who’s in there. We have a high standard in our receiver room. So we just try to play to that standard every Sunday.”

Jordan Addison: “Mmm he got a big impact on, not just the receiver room, but everybody in here. His leadership… he’s just… that’s just a guy that we need around. But even though he’s down, we know he still gonna be around. He’s still going to help the quarterback room out. He’s still going to help the defense. He still going to help the receivers.”

Related: Just Admit It: Kirk Cousins is an Elite NFL Quarterback

Christian Darrisaw: “[Kirk’s injury] means everything. That’s our leader. The guy is his who you want to be your quarterback and to see something happen to him, it kinda just hurts a little bit. It takes away from his win a little bit, but we’re praying for Kirk and we’re in good spirits.”

Alexander Mattison: “Just in general, we all just understand, when anyone goes down, we all have to just continue to step our game up and next man up mentality of filling in that role and, you know, exceeding expectations. So,, you know praying for his health praying for him, his family. But we understand that we have to just continue to be the Vikings, we have to go out there and make sure that we do that.”

Jordan Hicks: “This is… this is NFL football, you know, every season something’s gonna happen and it’s on the team, it’s on the people around… to rally… to be, uh, be clos. But, you know, we’re hoping for the best.”

kirk cousins achilles injury minnesota vikings teammates kevin o'connell
Wm. Glasheen-USA TODAY Sports

There’s no doubt this team knows exactly how important Kirk Cousins is to the Minnesota Vikings winning football games. At 4-4, they are firmly in the thick of the NFC playoff race and their schedule is one of the easiest remaining in all of the NFL.

Still, can Jaren Hall, Nick Mullins, Sean Mannion or a QB not currently on roster really step in and help win enough games to get the Vikings into the postseason? I’m skeptical.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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