Is Kirk Cousins a Top Tier QB?
It’s been discussed ad nauseam — is Kirk Cousins a top-tier QB? Is he good, or is he bad?
Everybody seems to have an opinion. This appears to be the week for ranking quarterbacks, with several outlets putting out rankings.
Two particular websites showcased the story of Kirk Cousins’ career. Marc Sessler on NFL.com ranked the Vikings quarterback a lowly 17th, below the likes of Justin Fields, Brock Purdy, and Kyler Murray. Suggesting Cousins doesn’t even make it into the top 16 quarterback’s in the league seems harsh. Sessler had this to say regarding Cousins;
The Vikings expect to have Cousins back in purple come September. It’s almost unavoidable, with nearly $49 million in dead money attached to any pre-June release. Besides, he’s typically a tick above the bundle of mezzanine-level passers set to become free agents. Good Kirk burned bright off his white-hot connection with Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson. Bad Kirk reared his ugly head when Jefferson was smothered — or when Cousins just decided to go on one of his many in-game anti-adventures. I love the hiring of Brian Flores to fix the NFL’s worst defense, but it’s absurd to expect the Vikings to win a million more one-score games come September.
Marc Sessler, Around the NFL
Cousins’ ability is acknowledged, but the lack of faith in the Vikings QB is apparent.
PFF Ranks Cousins Top Tier
Meanwhile, in stark contrast, PFF ranks Cousins’ 2022 season in the top tier among fellow QBs. Rarely has any sportsperson divided opinion as much as the Vikings quarterback. Where does Cousins belong? Is he top-tier, or is he middle of the pack?
PFF used key metrics at the quarterback position to come up with their rankings, including PFF WAR (wins above replacement), EPA (expected points added) per pass, PFF grades, and a consensus ranking from PFF’s lead passing-game analysts.
Having crunched the numbers, Cousins slotted in at No. 7 — a lofty position with only the league’s best ahead of him. After ranking the quarterbacks, PFF then put them into tiers. Cousins came in the second tier, below “the elite” reserved for Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen.
In “the top tier” with Cousins is Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, the now-retired Tom Brady, Geno Smith, and Trevor Lawrence. Here’s what John Kosko of PFF said about Cousins’ position in the ranking;
Kirk Cousins will raise more eyebrows at this spot, but he consistently grades well and ranks highly in PFF WAR but suffers in EPA per pass and PFF analyst ranking. Cousins has his limitations with lack of mobility, and he shied away from targeting star wideout Justin Jefferson in the fourth quarter of the wild-card playoff game against the New York Giants, resulting in a disappointing end to the Minnesota Vikings season.
John Kosko, Pro Football Focus
Statistically, Cousins always scores well. There’s now a long career with evidence to back that up. The doubt comes from the intangibles that Cousins is perceived to lack, which causes reluctance to place him in the Top 10 at the position. In my opinion, he’s always been on the fringe of the top 10. However, after the 2022 season, he deserves to be recognized as one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league.
Excellent Season Marred by Disappointing End
Despite his statistics not being as good as previous seasons, Cousins did something accusers said he couldn’t. He found ways to win games, playing his best football in the key moments. Alongside offensive player of the year Justin Jefferson, he led the Vikings to 13 wins and a division title, despite the Vikings having one of the worst defenses in the league in 2022.
Unfortunately, for Cousins and the Vikings, a good season was marred by a bitterly disappointing home loss to the New York Giants in the playoffs. The offense played well, while the defense was a disaster. Even so, Cousins had the ball and a chance to do what he and the Vikings had done all season. Find a way. It wasn’t meant to be, as the final offensive drive of the season for Minnesota went nowhere. Unsurprisingly, some immediately jumped on Cousins.
It is almost certain that Cousins will be back under center for the Vikings in 2023. He will lead the Vikings for a sixth straight season, having racked up a win/loss record of 46-33-1. Can he author another season of double-digit wins? Would that change the view of his critics? Probably not. He will also need to make some noise in the playoffs if he can be universally recognized as a top-tier quarterback.
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