No Love for Kirk: Vikings Failure to Honor Kirk Cousins Achievements Sparks Debate

Kirk Cousins returning to U.S. Bank Stadium to face the Vikings isn’t in the same universe as Brett Favre donning purple and gold and returning to Lambeau Field to play the Packers in 2009, but Sunday’s showdown between the 10-2 Vikings and the 6-6 Falcons has all the makings of must-see TV.

When Favre returned to Lambeau in 2009, he threw four touchdowns and led the Vikings to a 38-26 win over Aaron Rodgers and the team he blossomed into a Hall-of-Famer with from 1992 to 2007. But as football were spiraling through the air, a plane dragging a “Retire 4 Good” banner overshadowed Green Bay while fans referred to Favre as “Judas.”

Vitriol of such magnitude is impossible to imagine Sunday in Minneapolis.

Cousins left Minnesota for long-term contractual security with Atlanta. It appeared to be a mutual separation for the greater good. And it’s not like Cousins is walking around the locker room wearing a cheesehead. Minnesota doesn’t have a rivalry with the Falcons, so traitor vibes don’t exist the way they did with Favre playing for a division rival.

The question Sunday, however, is if the Vikings will pay homage to Cousins. Will there be tribute video? According to Judd Zulgad of SKOR North, an official tribute to one of the franchise’s all-time leading passers isn’t in the cards.

“I have heard that they’re not going to do an official tribute to Kirk,” Zulgad said Wednesday. “That’s just what i’m hearing, but yeah it’s not official.”

How strong is Zulgad’s intel? “It’s pretty solid. That’s all I can say,” he said.

We’ve reached out to the Vikings public relations team to see if there’s truth to the rumor, but this wouldn’t be the first time a former star returned to Minnesota without being honored.

In the 2017 season opener, Adrian Peterson made his debut with the New Orleans Saints after spending the first 10 seasons with the Vikings. Peterson was booed by the fans inside U.S. Bank Stadium and he finished with six carries for 18 yards while the Vikings paid tribute to Randy Moss with a halftime ceremony to induct him into the Ring of Honor.

Cousins left the Vikings on a business decision. And it may be that Sunday’s Vikings-Falcons game is just business and Cousins will have to wait for his Ring of Honor ceremony to get an official tribute.