Vikings star named as one the NFL's most underappreciated players
The 2022 season was a microcosm for the ups and downs Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has endured throughout his 11-year career. Unfortunately his low points have cast an unfair narrative surrounding his play, but one national media outlet is making sure that won’t stick. Cousins led the NFL with an incredible eight fourth-quarter comebacks […]
The 2022 season was a microcosm for the ups and downs Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has endured throughout his 11-year career. Unfortunately his low points have cast an unfair narrative surrounding his play, but one national media outlet is making sure that won’t stick.
Cousins led the NFL with an incredible eight fourth-quarter comebacks just a season ago. He won a handful of games the team had no business playing in. But the turnover bug, which has been problematic throughout his career, reared its ugly head at inopportune times.
Cousins is playing on the final year of his contract, which leaves his future, as well as the Vikings’ in limbo. With that being said, an impressive 2023 campaign could heal all wounds in Minnesota.
The Vikings won 13 games with Cousins under center in 2022. And they’re in position to repeat as NFC North champs if all goes well in the upcoming season.
Cousins is absolutely one of the most polarizing players in the NFL. But NFL.com isn’t willing to forget about all of the great attributes Cousins possesses. In fact, they’ve gone as far as to name him one of the most underappreciated players in football.
From NFL.com: “Yes, I'm breaking one of the rules from the introduction, as Cousins, a former fourth-round pick, has four Pro Bowl nods. But given the constant narrative that surrounds this quarterback — and the fact that the Vikings are allowing him to play out the last year of his contract in 2023 — he just fits this "underappreciated" mold so well. According to Next Gen Stats, Cousins had the most attempts (210), completions (111) and the second-most yards (2,367, a total only eclipsed by league MVP Patrick Mahomes) on passes of 10-plus air yards last season. Those are downfield throws, not ones that rely on YAC.”
Click here to read NFL.com’s full excerpt on Kirk Cousins.
Had Cousins and the Vikings found a way to defeat the New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Card round last year, the outlook on the quarterback might be different. Whether it’s fair or foul, quarterbacks are ultimately judged by their wins and losses.
Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and others will be key in helping Cousins continue his career in Minnesota. If he can limit the turnovers and flirt with last year’s regular season success, Cousins will likely earn a new contract with the Vikings.
