Kirk Cousins has broke his silence on his NFL future after failing to come to an agreement with the Minnesota Vikings.
The veteran quarterback is now in the final year of his third contract with the Vikings, with the two parties not being in communication on an extension for months now. Cousins has now been with the Vikings for six seasons, having lead the team to an impressive 13-4 record last year.
And with free agency and the NFL Draft passing, the Vikings did not bring in a true replacement for him - with the 35-year-old set to start once again this season.
Cousins spoke to the media for the first time since the end of last season, with a lot having happened after contract talks broke down in the off-season. But he has stated he knows he wants to be with the Vikings and he wants to play for a chance to stay put.
"I want to be in Minnesota. That's kind of a no-brainer. Hopefully, we can earn the right to do that," he said on Wednesday.
The Vikings did have two big opportunities to take a quarterback in the draft, with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis being available for them to select in the first-round - instead taking wide receiver Jordan Addison.
And in the Vikings could have traded up in the third round to select Tennessee's Hendon Hooker - who instead went to division rival the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings did select BYU's Jaren Hall in the fifth round as a developmental prospect, with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stating that they will keep their options open at quarterback.
When asked about the uncertainty of his future with the team, Cousins said: "In this league, there should never be entitlement.
"You've always got to go play, and teams can do whatever they want to do. That's their prerogative. You just go to work. You do the best you can.
"I'm encouraged and excited because I do feel like I've got a lot of good football ahead of me."
Whatever happens next season, Cousins will be in line for another big payday - after being the sixth highest earning player in NFL history.
A number of teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are still without a long-term plan at quarterback - and could look at Cousins next off-season.
