There are rare times in life that you get a chance to go back and do what you originally failed to. Fran Tarkenton came back to the Minnesota Vikings in 1972 after spending five years with the New York Giants, with the same goal that Kirk Cousins has upon his return.

“Well, I think that you know it’s all about winning a Super Bowl,” said Cousins during his introductory press conference.

Tarkenton wasn’t able to get it done, despite playing in the big game three times during his second tenure with the Vikings. It’s also something that LeBron James got to accomplish during his time in the NBA, returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers to deliver their first-ever NBA Championship.

The hope for Cousins is that he can do the same.

“That’s ultimately what you’re building towards,” continued Cousins. “Now, we can’t win the Super Bowl today. We can’t win it this Sunday, but you’re on a journey to try to get there. That’s certainly where we want to go, but you can’t live January and February and November. So you know it’s about just taking the next step, and today is about having the best Wednesday we can have, and go from there.”

Kirk Cousins has unfinished business in Minnesota

Returning home is quite the journey for Cousins. He left Minnesota after tearing his Achilles Tendon in the 2023 season because they were trending toward finding a young quarterback of the future. They selected J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed Sam Darnold as the bridge quarterback. It was a great idea in theory, but every decision collectively since that moment has led the Vikings to trade for Cousins.

Cousins himself has a unique history with the Vikings. He came to Minnesota ahead of the 2018 season on a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract. That is a big factor in how many in Minnesota view Cousins. He was brought in to be a mercenary quarterback to elevate the team past the NFC Championship Game. They had an elite defense that set an NFL record when it came to third-down conversion rate. This team is just as good in that area, and better in multiple others.

Over his six years in Minnesota, they made the playoffs just twice and won a single playoff game. When he did depart, the fanbase was split on how good he was during his time here, and it’s still that way.

This go-around, the Vikings arguably have a better roster, and definitely a better defense. Many, including myself, believed that finding a quarterback who can lead the offense could be the missing piece for a Super Bowl. It turns out that Cousins believed that as well.

Las Vegas gave Cousins the choice on whether to come back to Minnesota or stay with the Raiders. He chose to return, mainly due to what he called “unfinished business.”

“I think my whole career’s felt like unfinished business,” said Cousins. “I don’t know that I would say today is any different than so many other years or moments where you feel like you’ve got something to prove, you’ve got something to accomplish, and there’s more to go get. I just felt like there was more meat on the bone. I didn’t quite know what that needed to be, but I just felt like there was more to go get, and so we find ourselves here today.”

This version of the Vikings feels on the precipice of something special, and general manager Nolan Teasley felt like Cousins could be that missing piece.

“Ultimately, in Kirk [Cousins], we saw an opportunity to acquire an accomplished quarterback and improve the Minnesota Vikings,” said Teasley. “He made sense for a lot of reasons. There’s familiarity with the offense, with the organization, with the coaching staff, his level of play, his production this season, and everything just aligned. The quarterback position can impact the entire team and this roster, in all honesty, this roster has earned the right to explore the potential to maximize where we can take this thing.”

The last line hits hard for the Vikings. In essence, Cousins is, once again, being brought back to be a mercenary quarterback. If he can rewrite history, the past will be forgotten, and a legend will have been created.