Kirk Cousins, other starters unlikely to play preseason finale against the Broncos

Quarterback Kirk Cousins does not expect to play in the Vikings' preseason finale in Denver on Saturday, and many of his fellow starters will likely join him on the sideline.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell will instead use the final exhibition as the last evaluation for fringe players competing for jobs on the initial 53-man roster, which needs to be set by Tuesday afternoon. The Vikings will head into Week 1 against the Packers having held out nine starters in the preseason, from receiver Justin Jefferson to safety Harrison Smith, while the rest got just eight to 12 reps in the opener in Las Vegas.

O'Connell said he doesn't see the value of playing them briefly when the score is meaningless.

"Ten to 12 snaps here and there," O'Connell said, "I don't know how much it does for some of the veteran players who have played a lot of snaps in this league when we're talking about a bigger picture."

O'Connell noted players get significant reps in different practice formats, like the two joint sessions against the 49ers earlier this month and Thursday's padded scrimmage, in which coaches tried to replicate a game environment by calling plays from the sideline and holding a mock halftime.

"All that matters is the 17 games," Cousins said. "I want practice to feel as much of a game as possible. If there was a way to take this [red, no-contact jersey] off and have a purple jersey and get hit and know that you weren't going to be out, I'd say hit me."

Cousins led the first-team offense to an early score, throwing a deep ball to a wide-open Jefferson against a busted coverage. But Cousins said he ended with a "sour taste" in his mouth after struggling in red-zone and hurry-up periods. Both ended in interceptions to Smith and linebacker Eric Kendricks.

But Cousins said he felt comfortable with the offense's body of work this summer, saying he'd be pushing to play Saturday in Denver if he didn't.

"You can't forget we lost Irv Smith last year in Kansas City," Cousins said. "He was gone for the year. There's a reason for what we're doing. There's drawbacks to it, too, but you have to make the best decision you can and go with it, and no excuses — be ready to go Sept. 11."

Safety Lewis Cine (knee) and cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (ankle) are among six other players who might not play against the Broncos while recovering from injuries. Neither practiced Thursday, watching from the sideline with receiver Dan Chisena (leg) and defensive end Janarius Robinson (undisclosed).

Linebackers Chazz Surratt and Blake Lynch also missed practice for undisclosed reasons. The defense lost another linebacker when Troy Dye was injured on the punt team. Dye was evaluated by the team's medical staff and did not return to practice. Asked about Cine and Booth, O'Connell wouldn't rule them out vs. the Broncos.

"Both of those injuries, as far as my knowledge goes, are injuries that can turn over pretty quickly," O'Connell said. "So, we really don't want to make any declarations yet."

Former Packers and Browns center J.C. Tretter announced his retirement on Thursday, when a Sports Illustrated article was published in which he said his three ideal destinations to continue his career would've been the Vikings, Panthers or Cowboys. Tretter, who also serves as the players' union president, said none of the seven teams his camp contacted reciprocated his interest, leading to his retirement at age 31. He was released by the Browns in March.

Tretter said the Vikings "never returned our call," which O'Connell said was news to him.

"I know Kwesi and myself have not had any dialogue with J.C.," O'Connell said. "If somebody in this building did, it didn't make it to me or Kwesi, for that matter. Obviously, as a former player, he in a lot of ways represents me, as well, as the NFLPA president. So I have a ton of respect for him."