Kirk Cousins didn’t want to play revisionist history, but the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the NFL would have looked different if he stayed.

Cousins revealed to former quarterback Chase Daniel that the Vikings did not plan on drafting a quarterback had Cousins returned to the team. However, the offers were going to be just one-year deals to stay with the Vikings following his guaranteed contracts throughout his career.

Right now, Cousins is the starter signed with the Atlanta Falcons who, ironically, drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round.

“I think the reality is just that they want to give themselves that flexibility,” Cousins said on Scoop City. “And I remember Kevin (O’Connell’s) words and I’m not gonna hold him to them, you know, were ‘Hey if we signed him back, I would think it’s very unlikely that we would draft somebody or something.’ But I also know in the league things change, so even if he says that it’s not like I’m gonna you know, hold him to that but his approach was ‘I just don’t see us doing that if you’re back …you if you’re not back then we have to.’”

Cousins wasn’t given much of a heads up in Atlanta, but they opted to draft Penix Jr. out of Washington anyway. The Vikings, meanwhile, took JJ McCarthy out of Michigan with the No. 10 pick.

Kirk Cousins nearly created an alternate universe

Just imagine what happens instead if Cousins stays with the Vikings. Penix Jr. might still go to the Falcons at No. 8 overall but could end up being the Day 1 starter. Meanwhile, McCarthy goes elsewhere in that scenario.

With Cousins in Minnesota, hypothetically, in 2024, McCarthy could fall to the Denver Broncos at No. 12 overall while Bo Nix either falls out of the first round or another team takes a flier in the first round.

Heck, do the Rams draft him as Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent in Los Angeles? Do the Dallas Cowboys finally say screw it and draft Dak Prescott’s successor in Nix? The possibilities are endless.

But since Cousins opted to go to the third franchise of his career, we didn’t get this timeline. In the spirit of Marvel movies, since they dominate pop culture, the NFL multiverse is wild isn’t it?

Prior to his Achilles injury last season, Cousins played rather well. He went 4-4 as a starter and tossed for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Cousins threw for over 4,000 yards from 2020-22 and had touchdown totals of 35, 33 and 29. So it’s clear he can still play at a high level.

It just remains to be seen if Cousins can elevate others in Atlanta.