Kirk Cousins Vindicates Vikings Draft Rumor from Zimmer Era
The Minnesota Vikings ended up with Christian Darrisaw — a wonderful outcome — three years ago, but the club was evidently invested in drafting a quarterback.
Kirk Cousins Vindicates Vikings Draft Rumor from Zimmer Era
That’s the latest from Kirk Cousins, who quarterbacked the Vikings for six seasons. Cousins was on deck to enter Year No. 4 in 2021, but Minnesota allegedly examined Round 1 of that year’s draft for a succession plan.
Cousins said on Bussin’ with the Boys this week, “Vikings, three years ago, I was finishing up a round of golf before the draft on Thursday, and I’m on like the 18th hole, walking up the fairway and Klint Kubiak calls me, our OC. And he says, ‘Just wanna give you a heads up, we may draft a quarterback tonight.’ I said, ‘OK.'”
Minnesota held the 14th pick that evening but traded back to No. 23, stockpiling 3rd-Round picks and later selecting the aforementioned Darrisaw in Round 1. Darrisaw panned out; the 3rd-Rounders — Kellen Mond and Wyatt Davis — did not.
Cousins added, “So I understood that, for a while, teams are always thinking about succession plans or always thinking about that. They didn’t end up drafting one that year, but you’re aware that this is a possible direction it could go. My point is this isn’t like a foreign concept. There’s an awareness that this is the NFL, anything can happen.”
Cousins’ new team, the Atlanta Falcons, shocked the world on draft night, choosing Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a choice on nobody’s radar. Nobody at all. Cousins and his agent were perplexed by the Penix Jr. draft choice, specifically because they weren’t informed about Atlanta’s plan until it was on the draft clock.
Mike McCartney, Cousins’ agent, revealed via text message to league insiders after the Penix Jr. pick: “It was a big surprise. We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation.”
Regarding the 2021 NFL Draft, many Vikings fans and draft analysts half-expected Minnesota to draft a quarterback in Round 1. Justin Fields and Mac Jones were popular theories, and some reporting suggested Rick Spielman, the general manager at the time, sought to trade with the Carolina Panthers for Fields, to no avail, of course. That reporting seems vindicated after Cousins’ revelation on the Bussin’ podcast.
Minnesota drafted Kellen Mond the following day in Round 3, and he flamed out about 16 months later.
So, according to Cousins, Minnesota wanted some quarterback in Round 1 of the 2021 draft — probably Fields. Possibly Jones. Both are slated for QB2 jobs in 2024.
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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