Kirk Cousins Eclipses Former MVP in NFL.com QB Rankings
The 2021 NFL season is over, and NFL.com conducted an autopsy of quarterback performance, adjudicating all 62 men who played at the position.
Gregg Rosenthal from NFL.com was responsible for the rankings, and he topped the list with Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Josh Allen, respectively. Rosenthal notably placed the now-retired Brady over Rodgers — the gratitude-filled, green and gold man who the 2021 MVP award. Perhaps Rosenthal found it poetic for Brady to lead the way as he demerged into retirement.
The Vikings were accounted for on the list. Sean Mannion ranked 57th out of 62 after Mannion’s cumbersome performance at the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. Kellen Mond entered that blowout contest, but he didn’t qualify for the power rankings.
Kirk Cousins was in a familiar spot, placing #13 in Rosenthal’s end-of-season tally. Situated one spot below Ryan Tannehill from the Tennessee Titans, Rosenthal wrote about Cousins:
“Cousins’ year-end rankings are consistent. (This is the third time he’s finished exactly 13th.) His streaky play within seasons is anything but steady. Just when Cousins had the cognoscenti talking up one of his best years, the Vikings asked Cousins to be more aggressive down the stretch, and he struggled.“
Gregg Rosenthal | NFL.com
The surprising part? Cousins was one placement better than 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The Baltimore Ravens signal-caller orchestrated one absolutely marvelous game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 — but that was about it. Jackson didn’t take a lot of flack from the media for a “down year,” yet the numbers do not lie.
Jackson ranked as follows via every quarterback metric:
- 17th in QBR
- 19th in DVOA
- 19th in EPA+CPOE
- 23rd in Passer Rating
- 24th in PFF
On the whole, though, nobody cared. However, if one must explain why Cousins outranked Jackson, this is it. Quietly, Jackson returned to earth for performance in 2021. It just flew under the radar because of his untouchable MVP reputation and injuries. Truth be told, Jackson should’ve checked in lower than 14th.
The NFL.com list of quarterbacks arrives as the Vikings ponder next steps on their QB1. Cousins carries a $45 million cap hit in 2021, necessitating a restructure or trade. Minnesota must rebuild its defense, and a single player hogging $45 million makes the task next to undoable.
If Cousins is traded by new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the transaction will likely occur before April 28th, the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft. Cousins could fetch a 1st-Rounder from a QB-needy team like the Denver Broncos — or a 2nd and 3rd-Round pick, depending on the other team’s general manager.
Cousins will be 34 in August. He threw 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year with 4,221 passing yards in 16 starts.
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).
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