The Minnesota Vikings remain in the playoffs and a huge reason why is because of the play of Kirk Cousins. Considering how he began his career, it's interesting to see how he's evolved as a quarterback in the NFL.
Back in 2012, the Washington Redskins surrendered a ton of draft capital to move up to the second overall pick in the draft. The Redskins made the blockbuster trade to select the highly-regarded quarterback out of Baylor, Robert Griffin III.
Along with Griffin, Washington selected Cousins out of Michigan State in the fourth round of the draft. The expectation was that Cousins would spend the majority of his career as Griffin's backup in the nation's capital.
But after multiple knee injuries, Griffin witnessed his career with the Redskins come to a screeching halt after the 2014 season. As a result, Cousins finally received a chance to prove that he could be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.
The Washington Redskins Era
In his first season as a full-time starter, the Michigan State alumn completed 69.8 of his attempts for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Above all, Cousins was able to lead Washington into the postseason in 2015.
Over the next couple of seasons, the Redskins utilized their franchise tag to keep Cousins at quarterback. Even though he was producing respectable numbers, Washington was hesitant to give him a long-term extension.
During the 2016 season, Cousins was selected to his first Pro Bowl with the Redskins. Furthermore, he finished the season with a career-high 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
The following season would be Cousins' final year with the Redskins after not receiving the extension he longed for. Even though he was playing without any security for his future, the veteran signal-caller delivered with 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 2017.
Amid his time in Washington, many criticized Cousins for his inability to perform well in clutch moments. That same narrative carried over with him when he signed with the Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings Era
Minnesota landed Cousins in free agency during the 2018 offseason in hopes he could become the solution to their quarterback conundrum. The former Redskins' quarterback was able to receive $84 million over three years. Most importantly, the lucrative contract was entirely guaranteed.
When the Vikings acquired Kirk Cousins, the expectations were sky-high for Minnesota. Before he arrived, the team already had a talented receiving corps and a stingy defense. All that was needed was a serviceable franchise quarterback.
The charismatic quarterback contributed 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in his first season with the Vikings. Additionally, he completed a career-high 70.1 percent of his attempts.
Despite his impressive numbers, Minnesota finished with an 8-7-1 record and missed the playoffs. Without a doubt, it was an extremely disappointing campaign for Minnesota in 2018.
The murmurs of Cousins being unable to come through in big-time games continued to grow louder. How could a quarterback with Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs fail to consistently succeed in an offense?
The handsomely-paid quarterback took the criticism personally and spent time perfecting his game in the offseason. To begin the 2019 season, it appeared that Cousins was heading toward having another discouraging season in Minnesota.
As a matter of fact, things got bad enough for Thielen and Diggs to share their frustration with the offense. After Cousins apologized to his teammates, his play on the field was noticeably better.
Over his 15 starts in 2019, Cousins combined for 3,603 yards, 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions. In spite of his numbers somewhat being down, he was extremely efficient. Could Cousins finally overcome the narrative that's followed him throughout his career?
Cousins' First Playoff Game With The Vikings
Last week, the Vikings made the trip to take on the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Not many people were giving Minnesota a chance to win the game due to Cousins' inexperience in the postseason; having just played in one playoff game in his career.
Contrary to the belief of many, Cousins aired it out for 242 yards and a touchdown to defeat the Saints. The 31-year-old quarterback's lone touchdown came in the form of a game-winning pass to Kyle Rudolph.
There's no doubt that a road victory over Drew Brees helped Cousins remove the proverbial monkey from his back. With that being said, Cousins' unforeseen playoff run could continue on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers.
In the event that Kirk Cousins can lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship—or possibly beyond—he'd become a beloved figure in Minnesota. The story of Cousins' professional football career isn't done just yet.
Follow Us
Subscribe