PALM BEACH, FLA. — On March 13, the Vikings gave Kirk Cousins a one-year contract extension and a no-trade clause, ending for now the trade talks they'd had about the quarterback and effectively guaranteeing him a fifth season as the team's starter.
If Cousins starts all 17 games this fall, he will tie Daunte Culpepper for the third-most regular-season starts by a quarterback in Vikings history, ranking behind only Fran Tarkenton and Tommy Kramer. He will again operate an offense familiar to him and work with a strong cast of a skill position players.
Perhaps for the first time as a starting quarterback, though, Cousins will take snaps confident his relationship with his head coach is on solid footing.