Kirk Cousins’ Former Teammate Offers Advice on Free Agency
Josh Frey
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Back in 2012, Washington had a decision to make at the QB position. Luckily, they held the second overall pick in the draft, and as a result, Robert Griffin III fell right into their laps.
However, Washington made a peculiar decision to double-dip at the QB position by also selecting Kirk Cousins in the fourth round of the draft. This ended up being a smart choice as Griffin would struggle with injuries throughout his career, thus playing only three years with the team, being benched in favor of Cousins, and eventually finishing his career as a backup in Cleveland and Baltimore.
Now, years after the two concluded their time as teammates, Griffin offered some advice for Cousins as he prepares to enter free agency for the first time since he left Washington for the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
Kirk Cousins’ Former Teammate Offers Advice
Griffin tweeted on Wednesday, “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”
The former Offensive Rookie of the Year may very well be correct in that assessment. Cousins has played a grand total of 25 regular season games with Kevin O’Connell as his head coach, and the QB has thrown for 6,878 yards, 47 TDs, and 19 INTs. Over a 17-game pace, that averages out to around 4677 yards, 32 TDs, and 13 INTs. In those games, the Vikings are 17-8.
Of course, Cousins will be a highly sought after free agent if the Vikings allow his contract to void in March. However, the teams that are most likely to pursue him (Atlanta, New England) both have brand new head coaches in place and the veteran would have to learn yet another new offense in order to lead them. In Minnesota, the system is already in place and has proven to be rather successful.
However, the Vikings simply may not want to bring Cousins back in 2024, particularly if they are looking to draft a QB this spring and especially if they would trade up to acquire a quarterback in the first round.
Price and structure will ultimately play a factor in the decision as well. Cousins has admirably (or notoriously, depending on how you look at it) found a way to secure boatloads of guaranteed money throughout his NFL career, but reports have suggested that the Vikings will not be willing to give him such a deal in order for him to return.
As such, coming off an Achilles injury and heading into his age-36 season, Cousins likely will either have to adjust his expectations or go searching elsewhere for that guaranteed contract.
The ultimate decision likely will occur in the next couple weeks before free agency officially begins on March 13th.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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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.