Vikings QB Kirk Cousins sustained torn Achilles, will miss remainder of season
A sensational season has been cut short for
Kirk Cousins after eight weeks.
Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings were dealt a massive and conclusive blow Monday with an MRI revealing he tore his Achilles in Sunday night's victory over the Green Bay Packers and will miss the remainder of the season, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Monday.
The team has since announced Cousins' injury. The timeline and details of his upcoming surgery will be determined this week, per the team.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell said after Sunday's game that it was
feared Cousins had suffered an Achilles injury, but the severity was unknown. Nonetheless, as is the case so often with an Achilles injury, the dreary writing was on the wall.
"Me personally, our whole team, our whole organization, we're all hurting this morning for Kirk," O'Connell said in his Monday press conference. "Just knowing how much he's invested into this team, and from a standpoint of his leadership and what he's meant to every single guy in that locker room and really what he's meant to me since my arrival here last year. We're going to miss him, there's no doubt about it that we're going to miss him."
Cousins was injured in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's
24-10 win, having to be carted to the locker room. It stands as the first significant injury of Cousins' 12-season career. The veteran is expected to be with the team after surgery to help the Vikings' QB room.
"My expectations are, and in my dialogue briefly with Kirk since yesterday, he has every intent of still being a major, major part of our leadership, part of our quarterback room, a part of our offense, a part of our plans each week schematically like he's been, right there every step of the way, and quite honestly I don't expect anything less from Kirk being the man and the leader that he is.," O'Connell said. "Regardless of the circumstances, as tough of a break, with the momentum we have as a team right now, we have to move forward."