NFL Network has new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins included in their Top 100 Players of 2018 list in the 94th position.
Each year during the offseason, NFL Network polls the players to determine the top players in the league. This year, they started off the Top 100 Players of 2018 by revealing the individuals ranked 100-81 on the countdown.
Included on the list within that range is new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who spent the 2017 season with the Washington Redskins and inked a massive 3-year, $84 million contract during free agency.
Last year, Cousins was ranked 70th in the top 100. However, this year he falls to 94th following a season that found him throwing a career high 13 interceptions and his team having a losing record for the first time since he was named Redskins starting quarterback.
But there are some good reasons for his struggles in Washington during the 2017 campaign. Pro Football Focus ranked the Redskins offensive line 21st in the league by surrendering 181 quarterback pressures plus a league-high 41 times and was 28th in the league in rushing yards per game (90.5 ypg).
Still, being included in the Top 100 Players of 2018 list is still a massive honor that Cousins is quite deserving of. During 2017, the Redskins quarterback threw for over 4,000 yards for his third consecutive season and tossed 27 touchdowns while leading 4 game winning drives for Washington.
Check out the video from Cousins’ spot on the countdown as shared by the official Twitter account of the Minnesota Vikings and NFL Network:
https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/991134566814486528
Now, he brings that talent to Minnesota where he will have the opportunity to throw the 100th regular season touchdown of his career since he sits at 99 following his 6 seasons with the Redskins.
The arrival of Cousins in Minnesota should provide consistency at the quarterback position after having 7 different quarterbacks start games over the course of the last 5 seasons due to injuries and below average play.
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Congratulations to Kirk Cousins on being 94th on the Top 100 of 2018 list. If Cousins can put together a solid season with the Vikings in 2018, he could see himself rising up the ranks of the NFL Network Top 100 of 2019 list next year.