RG3 Advises Kirk Cousins on Choice of 2024 Team
Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins have quite a strange history. Griffin was drafted second overall in 2012 after Washington traded the farm to get their new franchise quarterback. Their next pick was made in the fourth round, and instead of supporting him with offensive line or receiver help, they selected Cousins with their second pick.
RG3 Advises Kirk Cousins on Choice of 2024 Team
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was a fan of the Michigan State passer and convinced the decision-makers to pick two QBs. It was undoubtedly a smart move, and once Griffin got hurt, Cousins, his backup, played so well that he eventually earned the starting job in 2015.
Griffin’s career faded rather quickly, but he continued to be a backup in the NFL until 202o when he played his last game. At age 34, the former Heisman Trophy winner is an analyst now. He made some strange comments about his former teammate in the past, most notably when he praised Kellen Mond during the draft as the next franchise QB in Minnesota, mentioning that he is and can do everything Cousins is not.
Well, that succession plan hasn’t worked out one bit. Griffin’s tone changed in 2022 when the Vikings won a bunch of games. Quarterback wins shouldn’t be a serious argument for how well or bad a passer is playing, but unfortunately, they still are.
The college analyst voiced his opinion about Cousins’ pending free agency on X:
The best place for Kirk Cousins is where he has been the last 6 years, Minnesota. Few teams that need a QB are closer to Super Bowl contention than the Vikings, Kirko Chains has familiarity with the personnel and was playing the best ball of his career before his injury. #skol
Robert Griffin III
It is one of the most fascinating storylines in the next month. Where will the top quarterback on the market end up? Minnesota is still the betting favorite, but teams like Atlanta, Pittsburgh, or New England have all been rumored to be interested in acquiring the solid veteran.
Regardless, Griffin is totally correct in his assumption. Are those teams really closer to winning a Super Bowl than the Vikings, a team with plenty of weapons to throw the ball to in an offense led by Kevin O’Connell, whose scheme works quite well for Cousins?
He also has the luxury of continuity, something he hasn’t had often in his career. All the coaches and most starters on offense will return except for left guard Dalton Risner, an unrestricted free agent. He might also get some reinforcements in free agency and the draft, and Brian Flores’ defense has shown some flashes of excellence.
Cousins’ situation is so mesmerizing because nobody knows how it will end. The Vikings could look at him as the piece that keeps the team competitive, but they might also look at the risk it involves to re-sign a 36-year-old coming off a torn Achilles and prefer to find his successor in the draft.
The latest report suggests that the current regime is hesitant to hand him a fully guaranteed deal. If the two sides can’t find a common ground in the negotiations, a divorce after six seasons is possible.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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