Madden 24 Is a Kirk Cousins Believer
The Minnesota Vikings enter the 2023 NFL season with Kirk Cousins playing on the final year of his current deal. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has not made any decisions about the future at quarterback in Minnesota, but if Madden 24 has anything to say about it, Cousins is worth sticking by.
Madden 24 Is a Kirk Cousins Believer
Not surprisingly, Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes entered the 99 Club as the lone quarterback to make the cut. He joins Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson with the inclusion in the select group. Although Kirk Cousins was never expected to be that highly rated, his overall Madden number may be somewhat surprising.
No one questions Cousins’ abilities more than his own fan base. That doesn’t deter Madden 24, though, as he has been given an 84 overall rating, making him the ninth-best quarterback in the game. That seems surprising only because Cousins is often outside of the top ten and often in the teens when discussed among quarterback rankings across the league.
Mahomes is joined by Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson among signal callers to surpass the 90 overall rating. Next up is Jalen Hurts at 88 overall, and he is followed by Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, and Aaron Rodgers. Coming in just ahead of Cousins, and with an 86 overall rating, the former Green Bay Packers star is essentially even, according to Madden.
There is no denying that the Packers offense was lackluster, to say the least, last year. Rodgers was without wide receiving threats and often had to do more with less. Maybe his relocation to New York revitalizes some of his upward trajectory, despite being on the tail end of his career. Right now, I’m not sure you’d be able to make a fair argument that Rodgers and Cousins are equal, but it’s also probably not as far off as one would think.
If they want to replicate last season, the Vikings have their work cut out for them. Regression from the close victories should be expected, but it isn’t as though anyone across the NFC North is a juggernaut either. If Kevin O’Connell is going to get the most out of his team, it will again come on the arm of his quarterback. Madden believing in Cousins, to this extent, replicates the Vikings belief in their offense as a whole.
Last season Justin Jefferson put up ridiculous numbers on his way to the 99 overall in Madden. He may have fewer targets this season now that talented tight end T.J. Hockenson is there from the get-go, and Minnesota did use a first-round pick on Jordan Addison. However, the reality is that Minnesota should be expected to lean pass-heavy throughout the season, and the primary beneficiary there is the guy throwing the ball.
It’s not as though Cousins is playing for his first payday, but in a contract year, he could be angling for one of his last. Whether Minnesota decided to extend the longtime veteran again remains to be seen, but he’ll have the opportunity to put up gaudy yardage and touchdown totals with this unit.
When the dust settles on the season, seeing where Cousins ranks among a few different metrics will be worth checking in on. Betting on him to be a top-10 overall quarterback doesn’t seem too lofty, and Madden already believes he’s there.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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