After just three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, it’s not difficult to argue that Kirk Cousins is already the second-best quarterback in franchise history.
Following a magical (and apparently fluky) season by Case Keenum in 2017, the Minnesota Vikings made the decision to pursue other options at the quarterback position in 2018.
With the support of ownership, the Vikings ended up breaking the bank to sign free-agent passer Kirk Cousins to a fully-guaranteed, three-year, $84 million contract during the 2018 offseason. Minnesota believed he would end up being a big enough upgrade over Keenum to get them over the hump and into the Super Bowl.
Well, three seasons into Cousins’ relationship with the Vikings, he’s easily been an upgrade over Keenum. In fact, it’s not crazy to believe that Cousins is already the second-best quarterback to ever take the field in a Minnesota uniform.
Why Kirk Cousins is already the second-best quarterback in Minnesota Vikings history
Before the end of last season, we discussed the possibility of Cousins already being viewed as the second-best signal-caller in Vikings history. Well, now he absolutely should be regarded as the second-best quarterback to ever play for Minnesota.
Some might be shaking their heads at the thought of this, but Cousins being the second-best passer to ever play for the Vikings has more to do with the franchise’s lack of successful history with his position than the amount of success the team has been able to achieve with him under center.
After his first three years with Minnesota, Cousins already ranks first in franchise history (minimum 250 pass attempts) in career passer rating (103.6), second in career completion percentage (69.03), second in career passing yards per game (258.9), third in career touchdown percentage (5.8), third in career interception percentage (1.85), fourth in career passing yards (12,166), and fourth in career passing touchdowns (91).
Cousins is the only Vikings quarterback in team history to rank fourth or higher in career competition percentage, career passing yards, career touchdown percentage, career interception percentage, and career passer rating. A few former Minnesota signal-callers are among the top-four in two or three of these categories, but only Cousins is currently fourth or better in all five statistical categories.
Fran Tarkenton is obviously the greatest quarterback in Vikings history. His bronze bust sitting inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame can back that up.
To take this title from Tarkenton, Cousins will need to continue to put up numbers at the same pace he has during his first three seasons with Minnesota, and he will have to help lead the franchise to its first-ever Super Bowl win.
Still, Cousins has already done enough in his short time with the Vikings to be regarded as the second-best signal-caller in team history. Whether he’s only with the franchise for another season or he remains with the team for another handful of years, his position among the top two passers in Minnesota history shouldn’t change.