Vikings confirm Cousins is done for the season with a torn Achilles tendon in a devastating blow

EAGAN, Minn. — Kirk Cousins has a torn right Achilles tendon that will end his season, dampening the mood around the Minnesota Vikings after their recent resurgence and putting the front office and coaching staff in a scramble to figure out which quarterback to finish with.

Cousins underwent an MRI exam on Monday that confirmed the team’s initial fear about his first career injury, suffered when he planted his foot in the grass to step forward in the pocket and try to avoid a sack in the fourth quarter at Green Bay. Cousins went down in pain, had to limp off the field without putting weight on his right leg and was resigned to cheering on his teammates from a cart before the dreaded ride inside for further examination.

“We’re all hurting for Kirk,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said, “just knowing how much he’s invested into this team.”

The Vikings (4-4) beat the Packers 24-10 on Sunday and climbed above the cut for the playoffs after an 0-3 start. Staying there will be far more challenging without Cousins, their ever-ready leader who’s suddenly and stunningly unavailable to play.

“There’s no doubt about it. We’re going to miss him,” O’Connell said.

Cousins will have surgery on a to-be-determined date. No recovery timetable was announced, but it’s typically at least a six-month process for returning to full strength. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has raised the long-shot possibility of returning yet this season from his torn left Achilles tendon, but he’s nearly two months ahead of Cousins on his rehab because he was hurt in the opener.

Rookie Jaren Hall, a fifth-round draft pick from BYU, took over for Cousins. O’Connell refused to commit to Hall as the long-term replacement, though the Vikings would be hard-pressed to start anyone else this week when they visit Atlanta. Nick Mullens, the primary backup, is on injured reserve with a lower back injury and must miss at least one more game. If the Vikings were to bring in a veteran free agent or acquire one in a trade, he’d only have five days to assimilate to the offense.

“You wouldn’t believe some of the things on my cell phone I’ve received over here in less than 24 hours,” O’Connell said with a smile. “It’s what’s going to be best for our ability to win football games, but also knowing we’ve been living in a world where we want to be as competitive as possible right now, while also understanding what we’re building, hopefully, for the future at the same time.”

Cousins, who is on track to be a free agent next spring, has never missed a game in the NFL to injury. He has gone to great lengths to keep himself as healthy as possible, realizing the car-crash nature of his position while trying to extend his career as long as he can.

His appearance on the Netflix documentary “Quarterback,” that shadowed him, Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota throughout the 2022 season endeared him to a broader audience with the up-close look at his willingness to take those punishing hits for his team and work arduously each week to prepare his mind and body for the next game.