Kirk Cousins' first season with the Minnesota Vikings wasn't quite a disaster, but it was still a big disappointment. Cousins was inked to a three-year fully guaranteed deal last offseason, and expectations were understandably high heading into 2018.
Cousins and the team didn't play awfully, but they didn't come close to meeting expectations. The Vikings finished 8-7-1 and failed to make the playoffs despite having a ton of talent. The team still has elite playmakers on both sides of the ball, so there's a renewed sense of optimism heading into 2019.
Speaking to the media recently Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he's very confident Cousins will have a bounce-back year this season, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
“I know just watching him from an evaluation standpoint through (spring drills) and stuff, it was totally different than him coming in last year and trying to learn a whole new system and his comfort level and him understanding what’s being asked of him to do,” Spielman said.
The Vikings fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo midway through last season, and Kevin Stefanski is running the show on offense now. Spielman said he's looking forward to the new coaching staff having a full season together, and he seemed to take a shot at the old group led by DeFilippo.
“The one thing that’s going to detail our success this year is that there's no egos up there,” Spielman said of the offensive coaching staff. “Everybody contributes, everybody has opinions, everybody’s opinions are heard.”
This is a pivotal year for Cousins, and he needs to shake off his reputation as someone who doesn't deliver in big games. Minnesota will be competing in a tough NFC North, so they have their work cut out for them.
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