Deion Sanders Just Isn’t a Fan of Kirk Cousins
Dustin Baker
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In January 2021, Deion Sanders told Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, “I ain’t crazy about your quarterback,” in an interview after Jefferson’s team failed to qualify for the postseason.
And now Sanders is at it again.
In an interview with Barstool Sports, Sanders implicated Kirk Cousins as the Vikings problem while also detailing troubling relations between ex-Vikings leaders, Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer. According to Sanders — a close friend of Zimmer — Spielman and Zimmer point-blank stopped talking amid the last couple of months.
Sanders opined as Cousins as Minnesota’s problem:
“When you look back on this, look at the commonality of the guys that got fired. Look at all the guys that got fired, and look at the quarterback play. There’s a common thread to each and every darn one of them.”
Curiously, Sanders gave Zimmer’s defense a pass during the interview. In 2021, the Vikings ranked 30th in the NFL for yards allowed. Only the Houston Texans and New York Jets were worse. Zimmer’s defense was marvelous during his first six seasons in Minnesota, leading the league in defensive EPA/play. But with the commencement of the 2020 season, Zimmer’s defense began a self-authored obituary.
Meanwhile, Cousins’ production remained at a level consistent with the rest of his career, despite Sanders’ criticism. Via all available quarterback metrics, Cousins was around the ninth-best quarterback leaguewide in 2021, accountable for 34 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
So, if one is to be objective on the topic — a departure from Sanders’ analysis of his pal Zimmer’s fate — is it more likely the NFL’s third-worst defense per yards allowed or the league’s ninth-best passer was the problem? You decide.
Sanders’ indictment of Cousins comes a few days after former Vikings QB2 Sage Rosenfels essentially echoed the same sentiment.
Overall, that’s Sanders with two lackluster critiques of Cousins and Rosenfels with one.
The anti-Cousins commentary is popular at the moment as the Vikings new general manager — an unknown person for now — must decide whether to continue with Cousins in Minnesota or trade him to a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, or New Orleans Saints.
The decision will change the course of the Vikings. The franchise could surround Cousins with a rejuvenated offensive coaching staff, hopefully emphasizing the importance of an offensive line. Or Minnesota could turn the page, beginning an era with Kellen Mond or a new face from the 2022 NFL Draft.
But prepare for that debate — because it will engulf the months of January, February, and maybe March.
Cousins’ cap hit in 2022 is $45 million after taking a “discount” for the Vikings books in 2020 at $21 million.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
Vikings Territory: Ex-Vikings QB Sharpens Longstanding Criticism of Kirk Cousins
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