Prominent Pundit Claims Patrick Mahomes Is Manipulating Kirk Cousins
Most viewers of Netflix’s Quarterback docuseries observed eight episodes and left thinking more positively about Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Along with Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota, the series followed the three quarterbacks during the 2022 NFL season, showcasing on and off-the-field doings in the lives of players fielding the sport’s most important position.
Prominent Pundit Claims Patrick Mahomes Is Manipulating Kirk Cousins
Near the end of the documentary, Mahomes, the NFL’s reigning MVP, told Cousins, Mariota, and a global audience he believed Cousins was the most underrated passer in the league. Mariota agreed.
But one man surmises those thoughtful comments were just a manipulation tool. And that’s Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. A Vikings fan, Florio believes Mahomes is ‘working’ Cousins for his personal gain.
Florio wrote this week, “Based on what we learned about Mahomes in the Quarterback series, there’s another potential element at play here. Week Five. Chiefs at Vikings. Mahomes is smart enough to say nothing that will make Cousins circle that game even more aggressively than he already has. Look at how Mahomes worked pass rushers in the Quarterback series. He admitted that he routinely compliments them on their efforts because he wants them to like him, so that they won’t be inclined to try to hit him harder than they do.”
Mahomes has complimented Cousins in the past — long before any Netflix show or impending one-on-one matchup — even stating he studied Cousins as a means to improve his personal skillset.
“That same mindset applies here. Mahomes is working Cousins, knowing that in an ultra-competitive AFC, it’s critical for the Chiefs to go to Minnesota and find a way to win,” Florio continued.
The Vikings indeed host the Chiefs in 2023, but it is unclear if Mahomes is actually ‘buttering Cousins up’ for a dagger — or if he sincerely believes the man is underrated.
Florio also opined, “If Kirk likes Mahomes, maybe Kirk won’t make an exception to his every-Tuesday-off approach when the Chiefs game is approaching — and when Mahomes is spending a big chunk of his own day off preparing to go beat Cousins.”
The goofy part here is that Mahomes’ Chiefs can probably beat the Vikings without playing mind games or manipulating the other team’s QB1. But if Florio is correct, it would take Mahomes’ cerebral nature to a brand new level.
Moreover, finding ways to poke holes in compliments aimed at Couins is nothing new. In January, Florio joined The Paul Allen Show to examine the Vikings disappointing playoff loss to the New York Giants and said, “Joe Burrow is the anti-Kirk Cousins. Joe Burrow is the guy who, like Kirk, will have a great season. But when the lights get bright, you’ve got one game, and your whole season is riding on it — do you crumble, or do you rise? Joe Burrow rises, Kirk crumbles.”
Florio defiantly compared Burrow and Cousins and concluded, “Kirk doesn’t have it. You can take your rose-colored glasses and shove them up your butt.”
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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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