Kirk Cousins Sits in an Impressive Spot in Several All-Time Passing Records
Love him or hate him, Kirk Cousins has always been able to pile up some strong numbers.
Since joining the NFL in 2012, Cousins has been insanely durable. For the first little while, Robert Griffin III was running the show in Washington, meaning Minnesota’s controversial QB had to bide his time. Injuries to RGIII opened the chance for #8 to get his chance in the nation’s capital. Eventually, he used his strong play with Washington into a chance to become the starter with the Vikings, a spot he has occupied since 2018.
Cousins has been a full-time starter since 2015 and has done some wonderful things since then. If he continues on his current trajectory, he’ll find himself among a list of some of the most prominent QBs in league history.
Kirk Cousins and The All-Time QB Stats
Let’s begin with an obvious point: simply ranking highly in stat categories doesn’t mean someone is officially a top player at that spot. Put simply, Kirk Cousins isn’t a Hall of Famer (and it isn’t close). His cumulative numbers are impressive but he has never been elite.
That word of caution out of the way, take a look at some of his stats:
| Stat | Cousins Total | All-Time Rank |
| Passing Touchdowns | 252 | 23rd |
| Interceptions | 105 | 114th |
| Passing Yards | 37,140 | 28th |
| Passer Rating | 97.8 | 8th |
| Completion Percentage | 66.8% | 6th |
Assuming he maintains his good health and produces at a normal level, Cousins will get into the top 20 for TD passes and passing yards in 2023.
Currently, Kerry Collins sits in the 20th spot for passing yards with a hearty 40,922 yards. Cousins will need to surpass 3,782 yards in the upcoming season to officially overtake the former Titan. Last year, Cousins cleared 4,500 passing yards, so the feat doesn’t appear particularly intimidating.
Getting into the top 20 for touchdowns should be even easier. At 252 TD passes, Cousins is just 9 behind the 20th spot. David Krieg — a quarterback employed by 6 different teams in his NFL career — sits at 261 TD passes. What’s even more wild is that Joe Montana is 19th on the list with 273. In other words, a season where Cousins throws for 22 or more touchdowns will mean officially moving beyond what Montana did in his career.
Again, no one should believe that Cousins has had a more illustrious career than Montana. The Vikings’ QB1 is operating at a time when passing is abundant. Offensive coordinators build their system around tossing the football, a stark contrast to the NFL of yesteryear when running was all the craze.
Plus, the league has made life considerably easier for the quarterback. Defenders aren’t able to hit like they used to, a smart change that helps preserve player health. So, don’t take leave of your senses by claiming Cousins is among the greatest QBs to have ever played.
Cousins, who will turn 35 in August, is entering the final year of his deal with the Vikings. His 2023 cap hit comes in at $20.25 million but he’ll leave behind $28.5 million in 2024 dead money if he doesn’t agree to an extension.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
