Ex-Vikings LB Predicts Kirk Cousins Will Be ‘Unleashed’ in 2022
Dustin Baker
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Erin Henderson — a linebacker for the Vikings who played more games for the franchise than Jack Del Rio, Chester Taylor, Pete Bercich, and Percy Harvin – has a theory about the 2022 season.
Foremost, his opinion relies on quarterback Kirk Cousins staying with the franchise – in an offseason when he could be traded to a team like the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, or Pittsburgh Steelers. Cousins’ cap hit of $45 million in 2022 is a doozy, and a new general manager (expected to be named in the next week or two) might opt to end the Cousins era in favor of a new vision.
But if Cousins remains, Henderson believes fans will experience a different breed of performance from the 33-year-old.
Why might Cousins be unleashed? Well, he’ll be under new management.
Since Black Monday, a day when general manager Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer were terminated, unflattering stories about Zimmer’s leadership style surfaced. The testy demeanor toward reporters was evidently not unique to the pressroom. Players like Eric Kendricks called the culture “fear-based,” and the Star Tribune reported on a culture of rigidity. It was Zimmer’s way or no way, according to reporting.
And Henderson, who played from the Vikings for six seasons inside the Adrian Peterson era, feels a new staff will unlock Cousins’ full potential. How on earth could Cousins perform optimally when hamstrung by an inflexible Zimmer regime? That’s the Henderson rationale.
Minnesota could hire an offensive-minded coach after a decade of defensive fiends in Leslie Frazier and Mike Zimmer. If they do, that man or woman will have ample clay to mold, named Cousins, Jefferson, Cook, and Thielen. Then, per the Henderson theory, Cousins would unleash, presumably throwing more than his customary 4,000+ passing yards and 30+ touchdowns.
Henderson’s idea also operates under the pretense Minnesota’s offensive line will improve under a theoretical offense-first coach. Under the defensive mind in Zimmer, the pass-protecting traits of the offensive line always stunk. As in – smelled really, really bad. The Vikings raised the pass protection to average (17th in the NFL per Pro Football Focus) in one season. Unsurprisingly, that season was 2017 – and boom – the Vikings reached the NFC Championship.
The unleash-Cousins scenario is all the more believable if the next general manager and head coach emphasize the trenches. Upper echelon pass protection is how football teams reach the playoffs. The correlation in 2021 is uncanny.
Perhaps the next brand of leadership will recognize it. If they do, Henderson’s prognostication will be prophetic.
Cousins has “easily” tossed 30+ touchdowns per season with the Vikings in spite of trashy protection. Imagine his ceiling if Minnesota actually fortifies the trenches.
Finally, Henderson even believes Cousins tops Matthew Stafford in talent.
Bold, indeed.
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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