The Minnesota Vikings quarterback was recently selected as the NFL passer with the most to prove in 2019 by the Sporting News.
If we knew that Kirk Cousins was going to throw for 30 touchdowns and more than 4,200 yards prior to the start of the 2018 season, most would assume that the Minnesota Vikings would end up having a very good year.
Well, Cousins was actually able to put up these impressive numbers last season. However, his performance didn’t even result in the Vikings earning a spot in the playoffs.
Instead, Minnesota was left on the outside of the postseason in 2018 less than a year after signing Cousins to a fully-guaranteed, $84 million deal.
So heading into the upcoming season, it’s very fair to say that the veteran quarterback has a lot to prove in his second year with the Vikings.
Sticking with this thought, the Sporting News recently released a list of the NFL quarterbacks who have the most to prove in 2019 and guess who they slotted in at No. 1? Of course, they selected Cousins as the passer with the most to prove during the upcoming season.
"“With (Mike) Zimmer’s defense improved and Kevin Stefanski as Vikings OC for an entire season, Cousins has an opportunity to put to bed all the narratives being pushed by going out being one of the big reasons Minnesota wins in 2019.”"
Among those also included on the list behind Minnesota’s current quarterback are Nick Foles of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers, and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles.
An argument for who deserves to be at No. 1 on the list can be made for a number of different passers from around the league. But Cousins has a lot riding on the upcoming season and his performance could determine how the rest of his career in the NFL turns out.
The Vikings have done their best this offseason to give their quarterback all the tools he needs to be successful. Now it’s just up to Cousins to step up and help Minnesota get back into the playoffs.