Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ job is on the line when he returns to his home of the past six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
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Cousins’ future in Atlanta was already trepidacious before he threw four interceptions in a Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Falcons (6-6) have lost three straight games and are losing their grip on the lead in the NFC South.
Cousins has not thrown a touchdown in three consecutive weeks for the first time in his career. He also leads the league with 13 interceptions as concerns about his future with the Falcons have come into question.
While ESPN’s Dan Graziano tempered overreactions that called for Michael Penix Jr. to save Atlanta’s season, there is legitimacy to whether Cousins will stay with the team beyond the 2024 season.
“This was absolutely bound to happen if and when Cousins hit a rough patch, and the Falcons absolutely did this to themselves when they used that eighth overall pick on Penix a month after signing Cousins to a huge free agent contract. Fans who believed Cousins was the key to unlocking this highly skilled offense will surely be calling for Penix at this point. And who knows? It’s possible the thought has come up inside the Falcons’ building, as well,” Graziano wrote.
“Asking a rookie who has never started an NFL game to come in with five games left and save the season is an awful lot. If Atlanta makes this move and Penix can’t get it done, it’s going to be pretty tough to go back to Cousins — this year or next,” Graziano added. “The Falcons’ self-inflicted QB conundrum is a sticky one, I’m not denying that. But it still seems like the best bet for turning things around is the veteran who has been through this before. If it doesn’t work, the Falcons can make the change in the offseason and move on from Cousins after one year.”
Kirk Cousins’ Familiarity With Vikings Could Backfire in Week 14
There are arguments to be made both for and against Cousins’ chances against his former team on Sunday.
Cousins has had the most exposure of any quarterback in the NFL to Brian Flores’ amorphous defense. He’s as studied as they come and will have a plan of attack against his former team.
However, no coach knows Cousins better than Kevin O’Connell, who can tip Flores off to Cousins’ tendencies and trigger points.
The film sessions in Minnesota will be riveting as the Vikings coaching staff plots to spoil Cousins’ return to clinch a playoff berth.
Sam Darnold vs. Kirk Cousins Will Punctuate Vikings’ Bet on QB Change
The Vikings made a bet in the offseason that they could get more out of Sam Darnold, on a one-year, $10 million contract, and a reloaded defense that was built on the cap-savings of moving on from Cousins.
They signed numerous impact contributors despite eating $68 million in dead cap, $28.5 million attributed to paying out the void money tacked on Cousins’ expired contract.
That handicap and a lack of faith in Darnold at the beginning of the season was the reason for their preseason win total to be set at just 6.5 wins.
Through 14 games, Darnold has the seventh-highest passer rating (102.5) and is fourth in touchdown passes (23). Meanwhile, Cousins is below the league average with a 90.8 passer rating, ranking 19th at the position after signing a $45 million-a-year deal.
The Vikings’ have proved themselves right and can cash in their bet in Week 14 by clinching a playoff berth in what was deemed a rebuild year without Cousins.
