Will Kirk Cousins be better or worse for the Vikings in 2019?

He could get injured

This is a bit of a no brainer, but if Kirk Cousins gets hurt in 2019 he won’t be able to produce the numbers that he put up a season ago.

It’s really quite shocking that Cousins didn’t get hurt last season. This guy took a pounding every single week, but he never missed a game. He’s much tougher than many give him credit for.

The Vikings’ offensive line is vastly improved and that should help keep Cousins upright much more often in 2019.

Josh Kline or Dru Samia at right guard with Garrett Bradbury at center and Pat Elflein at left guard is a much better interior than Minnesota fielded for Cousins’ first year. This group should be able to handle the toughest front sevens the NFL can dish out next season.

The Vikings will get to test that theory a lot in 2019. They will face 2018’s best defense in the league twice next season in the Chicago Bears. Khalil Mack and the Bears owned Minnesota a year ago, and even with the Vikings’ offensive line improved, there are times that Chicago’s defense will still win the battle.

If they do and Cousins lands awkwardly or just gets crunched, he could get hurt, miss some games, and have a worse season than he did in 2018.