As the dust settles from the offseason shakeup in the NFL, Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Brian O’Neill reflects on the departure of former teammate Kirk Cousins.
In January, following the conclusion of the 2023 season, O’Neill expressed his desire for Cousins to continue leading the Vikings offense into the future. His resolute support was evident as he emphatically stated, “I’d rather have nobody else than Kirk under center for us.”
Brian O’Neill on Kirk Cousins' departure: You call them. You wish them well. You hope they play really bad when they play us. https://t.co/CRQ02yXOTY
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 15, 2024
However, the NFL landscape is notoriously unpredictable, and within three months, Cousins found himself donning the jersey of the Atlanta franchise, leaving the Vikings to navigate a new quarterback situation with Sam Darnold and a potential rookie vying for the starting role.
Acknowledging the realities of the NFL as a business, O’Neill addressed the departure of Cousins during a recent video session with the team. “I have a job, and that’s not my job. My job is to block people,” O’Neill stated candidly. “When that kind of stuff happens, it’s the same as any other teammate who signs somewhere else or moves on.”
Drawing parallels to past experiences, O’Neill emphasized the routine response to such transitions. “You call them. You wish them well. You hope they play really bad when they play us,” he remarked with a hint of humor. “It’s no different than other teammates I’ve been close with that have left. You give them a call. You check in on them in the offseason and move on.”
O’Neill’s reflections underscore the cyclical nature of professional sports, where roster changes are an inevitable part of the game. “Life moves on. It’s a business,” he concluded, encapsulating the pragmatic perspective shared by many players navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the NFL.
