The Facts: While Cousins is entering the last year of his contract with the Vikings, he’s hoping it won’t be the last season he’s with the club. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said over the weekend that the door is not closed on a potential extension for Cousins — though at this point that seems unlikely. On Wednesday, Cousins said that his mindset hasn’t changed even with his contract situation and that he’d still like to finish his career with the Vikings. “I want to be in Minnesota. That’s kind of a no-brainer, so hopefully we can earn the right to do that,” Cousins said in his press conference. “I’ve always said that, when I say I would like to be in Minnesota, there’s a lot of things I’d like to have — you’ve got to go earn it. So that’s kind of where I’m at with that.”

Diehards Line: When asked about the Vikings looking at quarterbacks in the draft, Cousins said teams always have to do their due diligence. But he’s looking forward to playing at the highest level he can, even without a new deal entering 2023. The Vikings didn’t select a quarterback until BYU’s Jaren Hall in the fifth round, so Cousins’ starting job appears safe at least heading into the coming season. But at this point, things are up in the air for everyone beyond that. In five seasons with Minnesota, Cousins has compiled a 46-33-1 record as a starter. He’s completed 68 percent of his pass for 20,934 yards with 153 touchdowns and 50 interceptions. In 2022, Cousins threw for 4,547 yards with 29 TDs and 14 picks.