Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Fran Tarkenton is the best quarterback in franchise history. After him, it’s a bit more of a debate.
But while he likely isn’t claiming the silver medal, Kirk Cousins nevertheless put himself in an excellent position for several statistical categories. His six seasons in Minnesota – or, perhaps, just five and a half given the Achilles injury – always resulted in some tidy numbers. Where does that leave him in terms of overall statistical rankings?
Kirk Cousins and The Vikings Stats
Initially, Cousins played for Washington.
During the 2018 offseason, though, the Vikings were looking to go get their so-called missing piece: a franchise QB. The statistically impressive but light on wins Cousins was a free agent and there was strong interest from the Jets and Vikings. In the end, Minnesota snagged their man for a somewhat infamous three-year pact and a fully-guaranteed $84 million.
Jun 3, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is interviewed after Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Cousins doubled up on that initial agreement, turning the three years into six years of playing for Minnesota. How did he fare?
Consider the rankings in the notable stat categories:
Yards: 23,265 – 3rd in Vikings History
Completion %: 67.9% — 3rd in Vikings History
Touchdowns: 171 – 2nd in Vikings History
Interceptions: 55 – 5th in Vikings History
First, a note on completion percentage.
Technically, Cousins is down a 13th, not 3rd. The issue is that the initial ten names are for players who have either tossed one or two passes in their NFL careers and therefore are sitting on a 100% completion mark. Obviously, they don’t count in the same way as an actual QB who passes the ball on a full-time basis.
Aug 3, 2023; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks Nick Mullens (12) and Kirk Cousins (8) talk during warm ups at TCO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Only Sam Bradford and Nick Mullens are coming in ahead of Cousins. Given the sample size, Cousins is the most impressive. Bradford had just 17 games playing for the Vikings and Mullens is down at 9. Cousins, in contrast, put in work across 88 games. No comparison.
The yards are coming in an era when passing is more abundant, but it’s still super impressive. Tommy Kramer (128 games) and Fran Tarkenton (177) are coming in ahead but had way more opportunity, at least in terms of the games played.
The touchdown passes also come within the context of the modern game being pass friendly, but the same games played issue needs to get factored into the mix. Only Tarkenton has more.
Jun 3, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) shown in action on the field during Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The interceptions aren’t a stat anyone wants to have but an overall 171/55 TD-to-INT ratio is strong work. Consider, for instance, that Tarkenton is sitting on a 239/194 ratio while Kramer finds himself at 159/157. Daunte Culpepper is at 135/86.
The different eras run through all of these numbers, but Kirk Cousins piled up tremendous stats across just five and half years as the QB1 in Minnesota. Had he finished his career in The Gopher States, Cousins could have realistically claimed every major stat category in team history.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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Publish date : 2024-07-23 08:00:00
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