Bleacher Report Predicts Cousins Era Coming to an End
Dustin Baker
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has the sixth-highest passer rating in NFL history (97.9), but who cares about that, right?
Bleacher Report evidently isn’t impressed. BR‘s Kristopher Knox detailed “what we’ve learned” about each NFL team during the 2021 offseason. And for the Vikings, he learned that Kirk Cousins’ tenure in Minnesota is nearing an endpoint. Knox explained:
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is under contract through the 2022 season. While the 32-year-old has been more than serviceable for the Vikings over the past three campaigns, Minnesota is clearly looking for more out of the position. In the third round, Minnesota took Texas A&M product Kellen Mond. According to post-draft reports, the Vikings were looking to select Cousins’ replacement much earlier. “As disclosed in a video published by the Panthers, the Vikings called Carolina in an attempt to trade up from No. 14 to No. 8 in the first round of the 2021 draft,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote. “Per a league source, the Vikings were targeting quarterback Justin Fields.” Obviously, the Panthers rejected the call and took South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn. The Bears, meanwhile, traded up to No. 11 to snatch Fields. Cousins may have been the 2021 starter even if the Vikings had landed Fields. However, Minnesota has made it obvious that Cousins is not a significant piece of its long-term plans. When Cousins’ contract is up, his time in Minneapolis probably will be too.
Never mind the contingency plan aspect involving Kellen Mond. For Bleacher Report, the alleged attempt by general manager Rick Spielman to snag Fields was a tarot card-like deal-sealer.
Under Cousins, the Vikings have accrued a 25-22-1 record, one stunning playoff win, and two disappointing campaigns in 2018 and 2020. In Cousins’ first year with the Vikings, 2018, he was indeed accountable for not dragging the team to the postseason down the stretch of the regular season — even without Dalvin Cook, who missed significant time amid his sophomore season. It was that lack of a postseason appearance for Cousins’ “first impression” that soured many fans. The 2017 Vikings were about 45 minutes from hosting a home Super Bowl. So, when Cousins did not single-handedly spur something sexier than an NFC Championship trip inside his maiden voyage, the “overpaid” narrative vamped up.
On the whole, the bulk of Vikings fans support Cousins as the team’s signal-caller. But those that cannot wrap their brains around his aptitudes — scream their malcontent the loudest.
In January, Vikings enthusiasts were unscientifically polled about the notion of drafting a quarterback in the 1st Round of the 2021 NFL Draft — Justin Fields, for instance — and the zest for a Cousins’ replacement was teensy.
What do YOU want the Vikings to do in the 1st Round of the draft at #14?
Can also add comments if your opinion falls outside of the choices.
— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) January 17, 2021
About a month later, another likeminded poll was disbursed, asking Vikings faithful about their support of the quarterback and head coach Mike Zimmer. Overall, about 87% showed approval for Cousins.
Generally speaking on the Vikings, which category are you?
I know many of you have kinda-sortas on this, and that's fine. But pick the one that most accurately describes you.
— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) February 24, 2021
While the selection of Mond in the 3rd Round of April’s draft indicates that the team is prepared for life after Cousins, the plan could be scrapped altogether if Cousins exudes dominant 2021 or 2022 campaigns. General managers prepare for the future — it’s part of their job description. Should the Vikings dance out of the 2022 season without a Super Bowl trip or victory, then Spielman will already have Mond on the depth chart theoretically ready to take over the big job, canceling the awkward hiatus of patching over a veteran quarterback to a shiny new rookie. The Green Bay Packers mirrored this philosophy when Jordan Love was picked in 2020.
As for Fields, it’s the Mond idea — supersized. Had the team selected Fields and then Cousins authored a 2021 Super Bowl season, well, Fields would become a tradeable asset — and the Vikings would have the best of both worlds. That is, a long-overdue Super Bowl and a trade nugget in Fields.
Contingency is the key term to associate with the Vikings plans for Cousins — not swift and imminent replacement.