The dialogue surrounding Kirk Cousins every single summer never disappoints. Any opinion on him is possible, which is why it is important to determine whether the compliments or criticisms are valid. The take that will likely get you labeled a “casual” NFL fan is that Kirk Cousins is an objectively bad QB. The fact of the matter is that Cousins consistently puts up numbers that easily disprove that narrative. Interestingly enough his numbers remain fairly consistent regardless of his teams’ success. He’s thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of his 5 seasons with the Vikings, and finished top ten in QBR in 4 of the 5 seasons. Just last season the Vikings finished 13-4, yet most fans would agree that Kirk’s game was slightly off compared to the year before where the Vikings finished 8-9. It’s hard to blame him for that, however, the lack of consistency with offensive schemes surely played a role in that mild fluctuation.
This will be the first time in his tenure in Minnesota that Cousins will be in the same exact scheme as the year prior, which he has claimed has already made an impression on him. With an elite supporting cast, Kirk is primed for a big year, and boy does he need one. The trio of Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and shiny new first round pick Jordan Addison should allow him to sling the rock like never before. You can’t forget about the constantly improving K.J. Osborn, who will no doubt get his fair share of the ball this upcoming season. The situation is very intriguing, as this offseason has been filled with trade rumors, draft discussions, and the lack of an extension for Cousins. It’s clear that regardless of their thoughts on the QB, Vikings fans are starting to look to the future and wonder what life after Captain Kirk is going to look like. He has stated that he would love to finish his career as a Viking, and it seems that this is his chance to make that happen. The harsh reality is that front offices, coaches, and fans alike are all hesitant about aging QBs, and in an offseason where the Vikings have certainly targeted younger players with high ceilings, the situation with Cousins looked pretty grim for a brief time. It seems that he has avoided the worst of it, and will be the teams’ QB1 for at least the 2023-24 season.
The bottom line is that Kirk is a good quarterback. Some guys just happen to be turned into scapegoats, and Kirk Cousins is definitely one of them. The idea that he simply “can’t get it done” is all relative. If you put him at the helm of a roster that contains their current offense, and a top 15 defense, it’s hard to argue that he couldn’t hoist a Lombardi at the end of the season. For now, he has done his job and done it well, and we just have to wait and see how the situation plays out. It seems that no matter what he does, Cousins can’t be perceived as a good QB without a catch. Every time he finally starts to get the respect he deserves, he catches a new stray insult to get the argument surrounding him going again. Most recently coming from Cam Jordan, claiming that Kirk makes, “slow, right decisions” that are preferable for pass rushers. It appears that Cam may still be getting over a couple of fast, right decisions that Kirk has made in his games against the Saints. Either way, the Vikings appear to have a bright future with a star studded offense and a defense that literally can’t get any worse than last year. It’s up to Cousins to continue to keep being a great leader and great quarterback if he wants to earn his desired ending in Minnesota.
"Slow right decisions, we love 'em. Call 'em Kirk Cousins"
Cam Jordan not holding back on Kirk at Von's pass rush summit pic.twitter.com/5J4aGJ5JeH
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) June 12, 2023
