CBS Names Kirk Cousins a Top 10 QB Heading into 2023
Inevitably, when discussing the Vikings current starting QB, there is going to be some sort of controversy. Anyone who names Kirk Cousins one of the best quarterbacks in league, pointing to durability and efficiency will be met with backlash from others who point to his lack of playoff success and insistence on fully guaranteed contracts as reasons why he shouldn’t be listed in that tier of players.
Well, CBS Sports analyst Cody Benjamin made the brave appraisal of ranking Cousins among the top 10 quarterbacks in the league heading into the 2023 season, placing him right at No. 10. Here is what Benjamin had to say of Cousins, and how he landed in this spot:
The inclusion of Cousins on any list of “top QBs” inevitably evokes some scoffing, namely because of the lackluster big-game resume (he’s won just a single postseason appearance in eight years as a full-time starter). He may well be entering his final season with the Vikings, who have mirrored his solid-but-unspectacular resume. And yet, in a league full of volatility, he’s been consistently durable and accurate, while proving underrated as a big-play thrower. The athletic upside isn’t there, and if his pocket isn’t cozy, the miscues can snowball. But his on-script efficiency will keep you on the verge of contention every single year.
Cousins is in that “grey area” between being an elite QB and just being an average starter for all the reasons discussed above. Is he an accurate QB that raises a team’s floor from the basement of the NFL? Yes, he absolutely is. Since taking over as a full-time starter in 2015, Cousins’ teams have never won fewer than seven games.
Is he the dynamic playmaker that is going to be the reason a team wins multiple playoff games, though? Not necessarily, or at the very least, we just haven’t seen him do it yet. At age-35, he is running out of time to change that as well.
That being said, though, there simply aren’t a lot of quarterbacks who are going to be “that guy” in the NFL. Even some players listed above Cousins on Benjamin’s list (Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert) have been scrutinized for similar reasons throughout their careers.
With Cousins entering the final year of his contract in Minnesota, the first time he’s faced impending free agency since joining the Vikings back in 2018, there are a lot of questions surrounding the future of the quarterback position for the team.
If Cousins can prove to be one of these quarterbacks that can take Minnesota on a deep playoff run, there is certainly a chance that he returns in 2024. However, with a similar ending to last season, or an outright unsuccessful year such as 2020 or 2021, this very well could be his final season in Minnesota, leaving the Vikings a chance to find a young, long-term option via the draft or perhaps a trade.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.