Kirk Cousins isn’t going anywhere at all, it seems.
The Vikings quarterback is expected to remain with the Vikings and not waive his no-trade clause, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, which likely shuts down any speculation he could come to the Jets.
According to Schefter, unless a team in the hunt loses a quarterback to injury, Cousins will be staying in Minnesota for the rest of the season.
As the Vikings have limped to a 1-4 start and sit with the Bears at the bottom of the NFC North, speculation started that Cousins might waive the clause.
Earlier this week, Cousins, 35, addressed the situation when he was asked directly about his contract.
“You know I am just very focused on the Bears and going 1-0 this week, and anything else is not worth my time or energy or attention,” Cousins told reporters Wednesday.
The veteran signal-caller can become a free agent this spring, though The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said there is a possibility that the Vikings keep him past this year.
Despite the Vikings’ record, Cousins has thrown for a league-best 13 touchdowns and 299.6 yards per game, second in the NFL.
After Aaron Rodgers went down four plays into the Jets’ season and Zach Wilson took over as the starter, chatter around Cousins and the Jets have been rampant, though no definitive report ever said the Jets were looking to add Cousins.
Russini reiterated in the report that the Jets remain confident in Wilson.
Cousins said earlier in the week that he has continued to avoid social media and not listen to any speculation about whether or not he could get asked to waive his no-trade clause.
“You know, ignorance is bliss and I’m just really ignorant,” Cousins told reporters. “I don’t really have access to a whole lot and I try to do that by design, so it’s pretty intentional. Aside from high school friends who may text me what they’re reading and I’ll text them back — and I prefer to remain ignorant, you know, so I’d appreciate not getting texts.
“Aside from that, I really don’t know what’s going on. I’ve been insulated at time to the point of being naive and a little stupid, but I’d rather err on that side than consuming everything and just having to … Again, it just takes your focus away from what is important and what will help you play well, so that’s kinda how I wanted to do it.”
With Rodgers out, the Jets have gone 2-3 and have won one game with Wilson as the team’s starter.
Wilson, in his third year with the Jets, has thrown for 911 yards (182.2 yards per game) with four touchdowns and five interceptions.
His 73.4 quarterback rating ranks 32nd out of 36 NFL quarterbacks this season.
The Jets take on the Eagles this week while the Vikings, sans Justin Jefferson, play the Bears.