The quarterback market is volatile in the NFL for the 2022 season.
We have seen the Cleveland Browns trade for Deshaun Watson, leading Baker Mayfield to request a trade.
Teams have traded Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, and Carson Wentz to new teams.
Tom Brady would retire, only to come back about a month later.
So with all the quarterback drama in the NFL, are the Minnesota Vikings wise to keep Kirk Cousins around?
The Good: Cousins Is A Productive Quarterback
You have to look at all sides with Cousins before saying whether or not the Vikings are making the right choice.
When you look at Cousins’ stats with the Vikings, they are pretty solid.
Kirk Cousins hasn't been paired with an above average head coach in his entire career. Other QBs with his type of sustained production have had that luxury. Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Wilson, Roethlisberger, they've all benefitted from exceptional head coaches
— TreMAINe ATTRACTION (@Mr_Objectivity) December 6, 2021
He has passed for 16,387 yards, 124 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions in four years with the Vikings.
He is consistent with his numbers each season with passing yards and touchdowns.
Those are the good things about Cousins: he is consistent with key elements of his play at quarterback.
Bringing in a new quarterback might disrupt that chemistry on the team that he already has established.
Sticking with him over these factors makes keeping him around a good choice for the team.
The Bad: Cousins Is Slowly Regressing
While Cousins does have consistent numbers in passing yards and touchdowns, his other numbers are slowly regressing.
In 2020, Mike Zimmer dealt with the regression of Kirk Cousins, the loss of Danielle Hunter and many defensive starters, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kirk's regression led to a 1-5 start to the season and missing the playoffs.
— Vikings Couch (@VikingsCouch) January 4, 2022
His completion percentage has gone down every year he has been with the Vikings.
His first year saw him at a 70.1% completion rate but last year saw him at a low of only 66.3%.
He is also getting older, something that works against most NFL quarterbacks.
Even with running back Dalvin Cook to help take pressure off Cousins, it has only helped very little.
Cousins might see his biggest regression in the 2022 season.
That would make keeping Cousins a bad move for the team.
The Ugly: Cousins Only Has One Season Of More Than Eight Wins
You can’t make it to the playoffs if you don’t win more than eight games.
Unless you are in the NFC East, which is the division Cousins came from before joining the Vikings.
The NFC East has had a team with a losing season make the playoffs.
However, the NFC North doesn’t offer that luxury with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers around.
Cousins has been a mediocre quarterback in terms of wins and losses.
He is 33-29-1 with the Vikings, with only one season where he had ten wins.
That one season was the only season where he could take the Vikings to the playoffs.
Say what you will about Kirk Cousins, but he hired a savvy, all-time great agent. The 33-year-old quarterback has won only one playoff game, but he’s raked in over $230 million throughout his NFL career
— Jackson Ripp (@JacksonRipp) March 16, 2022
Other NFL teams would have moved on just on that basis alone.
His record with the Vikings as a quarterback is ugly, which should have spelled doom for him.
Sticking With The Devil They Know
While getting a Mayfield or trading for Jimmy Garoppolo might be better, the Vikings stuck with Cousins.
They want the devil they know over a devil they don’t.
That could be the wrong choice for the Vikings in 2022.
However, the team still believes in Cousins and hopes he can get it done with what he has left in the tank.
NEXT: Za'Darius Smith Bet On Himself And It Paid Off
Terry Bremer says
Cousins’ declining stats can be laid squarely at the feet of the ‘now-gone’ coaching staff that had Cousins looking over his shoulder on every play, and living with an system that says “Please don’t do anything to lose.” Nobody can play under that kind of ‘loser’ mentality.
I think keeping Cousins is more than simply ‘the devil you know.’ I would take Kirk over any of those other QB’s finding new homes or coming out of retirement. He’s still young enough to produce, yet experienced enough to know the ropes. And with new coaching – a staff that wants him – he’ll do better than the rest.
In short, keeping Cousins is the right thing to do. Just you watch!!