Minnesota melts as ‘Lil Kirko’ enjoys warm birthday welcome from Kirk Cousins and Vikings

Lincoln Gustafson, the Minnesota Vikings superfan known as “Lil Kirko”, was personally invited by Kirk Cousins to celebrate his 8th birthday with the team.

Before 2022, Minnesota Vikings fans were divided on Kirk Cousins. While Cousins has racked up passing yards for years on end, making Stefon Diggs and Justin Jefferson superstars in their own right, the Vikings didn’t have the record to show for it year after year.

There were even conversations about whether or not Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would trade Cousins, but alas, 2022 has silenced all the critics.

Kirk Cousins can absolutely win games, and that’s what he’s been doing the majority of the season. The 10-2 Vikings sit atop the NFC North and have marginally increased their odds of winning Super Bowl LVII since Week 10, with Minnesota now tied in sixth place with the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals at +1300 odds.

As a result, Cousins’ teammates and fans have been more supportive than ever, evidenced by a new superfan who’s been replicating another iconic Cousins moment. A Washington Kirk Cousins gave the world a timeless catchphrase, but a Vikings Kirk Cousins has given us a whole new look.

While Adam Schefter struggled to pull it off in primetime, Lincoln Gustafson, the boy affectionately known as “Lil Kirko”, has become famous for embodying Cousins’ shirtless chained-out style. Lil Kirko has been showing up to Vikings games copying Cousins’ look and his dance moves, which caught the eye of Cousins himself.

Cousins was so thrilled to see the passionate young fan that he personally invited Gustafson and his family to attend the Vikings’ Week 12 game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Once Lil Kirko entered the building, Minnesota fans and media took notice, celebrating Gustafson for his fandom and his eighth birthday, which lands exactly on Dec. 4.

Kirk Cousins and Minnesota Vikings rally around Lil Kirko for 8th birthday celebration

Evan Washburn wondered if Lil Kirko is in line to get an agent because he is “a star on the rise”, and it’s hard not to agree with him.

The young superfan has energized a fanbase thrilled to see Cousins thrive and truly enjoy that success with his teammates. Again, it’s been a hard few years for the Vikings, and it’s been a long time since they’ve been one of the NFL’s most dominant teams.

Lil Kirko even showed off his dance moves alongside FOX9’s Hannah Flood, as Flood mirrored his side-to-side dance moves.

Dawn Mitchell, another reporter for FOX9, expressed her excitement at seeing Kid Kirko celebrate his birthday with thousands of Vikings fans.

Star Tribune photographer Carlos Gonzalez snapped a picture of Gustafson on the sideline before the game.

One Vikings fan likened Lil Kirko to Dr. Evil’s miniature twin, Mini Me, from the Austin Powers trilogy.

As much as fans were delighted to see Gustafson in the stands, what’s even better is that all Minnesota fans shared the best gift of all: a win over the New York Jets.