Kirk Cousins Gets the ‘Over 30’ Treatment
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has encountered quite the summer, probably the most memorable one of his NFL career.
He was revealed to the masses — or at least re-confirmed as such — as a fun-loving dad who also happens to play quarterback in the NFL via Netflix’s hit Quarterback docuseries.
Kirk Cousins Gets the ‘Over 30’ Treatment
His peers also voted Cousins as the NFL’s 42nd-best player heading into 2023, his highest career ranking via NFL Network‘s NFL Top 100.
And this week, CBS Sports plopped the Vikings signal-caller on its Top 30 NFL players — 30 and over list, ranking Cousins at No. 23. He was sandwiched between Tyler Lockett (No. 24, WR, Seattle Seahawks) and DeAndre Hopkins (No. 22, WR, Tennessee Titans).
Cousins turns 35 on August 19 and enters his 12th season as a pro when the regular season kicks off in 39 days.
CBS Sports Cody Benjamin explained the over-30 criteria for his rankings, “What goes into the ranking? Past performance, future projection and, to a lesser degree, positional value. At the end of the day, it’s a hodgepodge of where guys stand right now and how much they’ve got left in the tank.”
Harrison Smith did not make the CBS Sports list, an apparent snub.
On Cousins, Benjamin opined, “He’ll have rightful detractors as long as his top 10 production fails to result in big-game results, but year in, year out, Cousins is among the NFL’s most efficient and quietly resilient pocket passers, all but guaranteeing a wild-card push.”
Minnesota is banking on Cousins to lead the charge in 2023, building on an NFC North title in 2022. Owner Mark Wilf said about Cousins on Good Morning Football in January, “Kirk’s an outstanding quarterback. He’s done a great job for us. This past season with Kevin O’Connell, he took our offense to the next level. So, we’re looking for great things in 2023. Kirk’s going to be the leader on our offense.”
Meanwhile, probably because of the age-35 status, Cousins enters his final year with the Vikings, at least on paper. He could be extended by the club next February or March — or hit open free agency like Derek Carr this offseason. The verdict depends on Minnesota’s 2023 campaign and how well the franchise follows last year’s 13-4 season.
Since joining the Vikings in 2018, Cousins ranks fourth leaguewide in touchdown passes and fifth in passing yards.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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