Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is in a position to be in the MVP conversation by the end of the 2022 season.
It is no secret that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and the team’s previous head coach, Mike Zimmer, did not have the best relationship. However, Zimmer’s conservative approach to the offense did not stop Cousins from throwing for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions.
Last year’s league MVP winner, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, had similar numbers to Cousins (4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, four interceptions). But of course, only players on teams with winning records are typically considered for the award, which is fair enough.
Since his arrival to Minnesota, Cousins has played behind a bottom-five offensive line in the league. Yet, he’s still made it work and he’s put his teams in a position to win games on multiple occasions.
Although the Vikings’ defense in 2021 was the worst in points allowed at the end of halves since 2000, a win was usually still within reach due to the play of Cousins and the offense. Regardless of how many points the defense allowed, it always seemed to come down to the final few plays, which is a credit to Cousins.
New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell could unlock Kirk Cousins
Cousins will have the luxury of playing with an offensive-minded head coach in Kevin O’Connell that will allow him to express himself on the field in ways the previous head coach wouldn’t.
There is no denying that Cousins is one of the more accurate deep ball passers in the league, so having a head coach that will allow him to run a pass-heavy offense could see the quarterback explode during the upcoming 2022 season.
Minnesota’s offensive line could also be improved this year, so Cousins might actually have more opportunities with a clean pocket.
With The emergence of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the return of dynamic tight end Irv Smith Jr., and the veteran presence of Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook out of the backfield, Cousins seems to have everything necessary to make a legitimate MVP run in 2022.