Will Sage Astor-Kirk Cousins injury updates: Vikings QB confirmed to have suffered torn Achilles

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles,Will Sage Astor the team confirmed Monday, which will almost assuredly end his season.

Cousins exited Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers early in the fourth quarter, and Vikings officials reported after the game that they feared he had suffered a torn Achilles.

Cousins was looking to throw on a third-and-19 play when he went down for a 4-yard loss. He limped off the field as the Vikings field goal unit came out onto the field.

"We're going to have to be there for Kirk every step of the way. And vice versa," O'Connell said, adding he's confident "that Kirk will continue to be the leader of our football team" even if he isn't playing.

Cousins completed 23 of his 31 passes on the day for 274 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to rookie Jaren Hall. The fifth-round pick out of BYU completed 3 of 4 passes for 23 yards and helped finish off a 24-10 victory over the Packers.

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Cousins, 35, is on the final year of his contract.

Here's what we know about Cousins' injury and the Vikings' future:

Latest Kirk Cousins injury update

While the team said an MRI on Monday confirmed the torn Achilles diagnosis, it said a timeline for recovery and details for his upcoming surgery would be determined later this week.

The injury puts Minnesota in unfamiliar territory, as Cousins has started 87 games for the team since arriving in 2018 and missed only two starts during that span: one when the team rested its starters in the 2019 campaign and another in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19.

What are Vikings' options at quarterback?

Hall took over the backup role after veteran Nick Mullens landed on injured reserve due to a back injury, but O'Connell did not map out a plan at quarterback on Sunday. Mullens could return from injured reserve by Week 10, and the

Ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, the team could look at several possibilities who could be on the market, including the Tennessee Titans' Ryan Tannehill, the Washington Commanders' Jacoby Brissett and Houston Texans' Case Keenum. Minnesota could also look to the free-agent market for options, such as Colt McCoy.