Kirk Cousins Will Be Reminded What He Left Sunday
The Minnesota Vikings are favored against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. That is a reflection of Kevin O’Connell’s better team and U.S. Bank Stadium providing a homefield advantage. Unfortunately for Kirk Cousins, he is likely to be given all the reminders of what exactly he left.
Kirk Cousins Will Be Reminded What He Left Sunday
First and foremost, Kirk Cousins will be a visitor in what now is enemy territory. The reception could be less than thrilling, but the noise factor will be an issue regardless of that. Cousins has been lackluster in big moments throughout his career. The Vikings fanbase isn’t going to give him a pass or any level of quiet when Atlanta is on offense.
Beyond that, the dollars Cousins ran for with the Falcons don’t present themselves on the field. The money can keep him warm when going home at night, but Atlanta doesn’t have the same level of talent at playmaking positions as Minnesota. Kyle Pitts is not T.J. Hockenson. Drake London and Darnell Mooney aren’t Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison. Bijan Robinson is probably more talented at this point than Aaron Jones, but Minnesota boasts the NFL’s top rush defense.
If Cousins is going to enjoy his trip back to the Twin Cities, then it will likely be because of some out-of-body experience. The reality is that he chased yet another payday and found himself in a lesser situation. The organization he went to immediately told him they didn’t care about his future, and the goodwill he experienced with the Vikings was nowhere to be found.
There should be no real ill will from Minnesota toward Cousins. They have a better quarterback at this point and are paying Sam Darnold substantially less. They also have a path forward and significant roster flexibility, thanks to employing a quarterback on a rookie deal.
When Kirk Cousins steps onto the field, it will likely be all business. If he wants to give the Falcons any chance of winning, it has to be.
While considering everything that was and the reality he now has, though, it’s probably hard not to wonder if he would make the same decisions if he were to do it all over again.
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 daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. 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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