KirkCousins

News: 17 hours agoCousins (Achilles) announced Tuesday via social media that he had his cast removed from his right foot, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

Spin: Cousins will ditch the cast just under two weeks after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn Achilles' tendon. The 35-year-old quarterback will face a lengthy rehab process, but if he's able to avoid any setbacks in the next several months, he could receive full medical clearance for training camp, if not OTAs. Whether Cousins will be taking part in offseason work with the Vikings or another team is up in the air, as he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Cousins has finished as a top-12 fantasy QB seven of the past eight seasons, though his eighth-place showing in 2022 was his first top 10 since 2017. Cousins finished last season no lower than fifth in pass attempts, yards and TDs, and -- believe it or not -- Minnesota ranks sixth in the NFL in offensive TDs since he arrived in 2018. The drawback with Cousins is that he's a nonfactor with his legs. He posted a 31-97-2 rushing line last season and hasn't cleared 156 yards or two TDs on the ground since 2017. Cousins has proven to be a good QB2 and bye-week replacement, but even with Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson as his top targets, he simply lacks the upside you want in your weekly starter.