Vikings fans give Sam Darnold another reason to leave with Kirk Cousins reaction

The Atlanta Falcons visited the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, which marked Kirk Cousins' return to the hallowed grounds of U.S. Bank Stadium. It was a bittersweet homecoming for Cousins, who spent six great years in a Vikings uniform. Cousins' last season ended with a ruptured Achilles, unfortunately, before he signed with the Falcons for $180 million in free agency.

Cousins did everything asked of him in with the Vikings. Minnesota never made it to the Super Bowl, but Cousins made the Pro Bowl thrice and mounted a couple fringe MVP candidacies.

His performance has been... less than ideal since moving to Atlanta, though. Cousins currently leads the NFL with 13 interceptions through 12 starts, including four against the Los Angeles Chargers a week ago. The Falcons were supposed to run away with a weak NFC South, but Cousins has single-handedly dragged Atlanta down to a 6-6 record and a first-place tie with the increasingly healthy Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, while the Vikings appear more than content with Sam Darnold in Cousins' place, one would still exactly a healthy round of applause for a longtime fan favorite and former cornerstone of the organization. Instead, Cousins was showered with boos when he first checked into the game.

Strange choice, y'all.

Vikings fans turn cold shoulder to Kirk Cousins in Minnesota homecoming

So, what should Sam Darnold do with this information? The 27-year-old has been a revelation in his first season with the Vikings, leading Minnesota to a 10-2 record in the rough and tumble NFC North. Darnold hasn't been perfect, but he has made countless big throws and delivered under pressure for a very good Vikings team. Kevin O'Connell and the entire collective deserve credit, but Darnold has credibly led one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, which was impossible to even fathom a couple of years ago.

Darnold is also a free agent at season's end. There is already a widely held belief that Minnesota will turn the reins over to J.J. McCarthy next season, but Darnold has played his way into consideration for a Vikings extension, at the very least. He can also pack up and leave for a better offer — or, perhaps, a more welcoming environment. Even if the Vikings want him back.

Cousins left the Vikings because the Falcons paid him more money. Point blank. If Minnesota matched the Falcons' $180 million, Cousins would still be under center for the Vikes. Because the Falcons won the bidding war, however, Cousins went closer to his family to play on a presumed contender. To turn around and hurl boos in his direction is a wild miscalculation. Cousins gave a lot to the Vikings fanbase and that was not reciprocated on Sunday.

That could leave a bad taste in Darnold's mouth. One of the pillars of fandom is appreciating your franchise greats. If Cousins can't even earn a gentle smattering of claps after a mutual split, how much goodwill can Darnold realistically expect to build up if he sticks around, presumably in a hostile, ongoing competition with the upstart McCarthy? Not much.

Darnold leaving in free agency has always been the most probable outcome, but stuff like this only serves to push the quarterback further away.