Some would make an argument that Kirk Cousins is a top-10 quarterback in the NFL. Others would be a bit more reserved and argue him as at least a top-15 signal-caller.
And then there’s NBC Sports’ Chris Simms, who did neither when breaking down his top-40 quarterback rankings.
Minnesota Vikings fans should be used to it by now when having the most polarizing quarterback in the NFL under center. For Simms, Cousins comes in at No. 16 on the list.
“We’re talking about the ultimate system quarterback—a guy that if the system is really good and creative and you give him and can teach him answers, checks and balances, he will take advantage of every [expletive] bit of it,” said Simms. “…He’s not going to be the guy that’s going to go, ‘Hey, we’re an 8-8 football team. Don’t worry, I’m the man. We’ll go 10-6 because I’ll pull a few rabbits out of my ass and a few magic tricks and we’ll make it work this week.”
For Cousins, the proof isn’t in the pudding for naysayers considering the Vikings have failed to finish above .500 and make the playoffs in the last two consecutive seasons.
The team has only won one playoff game since he arrived back in 2018.
Of course, a counter-argument is the fact that the Vikings have ranked among the league’s worst defensive teams over the last two years. There’s also the stat argument as well. Say what you want about Cousins, but he can fill a stat sheet as well as anyone—4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 2021.
He might not be a top-10 quarterback. Maybe he’s not even a top-12 quarterback at this point. But are there really 15 other quarterbacks in the league better than he is right now?
