An MRI confirmed Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles against the Packers in week 8, ending his 2023 season.
While there have been plenty of devastating injuries this season, Kirk Cousins suffering a torn Achilles in week 8 is the single most impactful injury that has occurred in 2023 from a Fantasy Football perspective. Kirk Cousins immediately becomes droppable in all redraft formats, and his future as a Viking remains unclear with him set to hit free agency after this season. This news also means a significant hit to the season-long fantasy values and expected production of all Vikings pass catchers.
The Vikings are expected to turn to Jaren Hall and Nick Mullins, the other 2 active QBs on their roster, to replace Cousins. It will be no surprise if the Vikings make a massive push before the trade deadline tomorrow to acquire another veteran QB, or end up signing an available free agent. Regardless, there is no plausible scenario where the Vikings can replace the production of Cousins.
For T.J. Hockenson, he now falls into mid-TE1 territory instead of a weekly top 3 option. Jordan Addison gets downgraded from a high-end WR2 to a risky flex option until Justin Jefferson returns. All other Vikings pass catchers should be avoided for now, and Justin Jefferson’s production is expected to take a significant hit once he returns from IR.