It's refreshing to hear an NFL player admit to career shortcomings, especially when he seems determined to rectify them in the upcoming season. Such is the case with Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is coming off a disappointing 8-7-1 season, his first under a much ballyhooed, fully guaranteed, three-year, $84 million contract.
There's a lot at stake for the 30-year-old Cousins this fall. If he plays well and leads Minnesota to postseason success, he'll have one year left on his contract, and the team would likely extend him for several more years at the $30 million-plus level. Conversely, if he doesn't have a strong year and the Vikings miss the playoffs again, they probably will look to select a QB from a solid 2020 draft class while Cousins plays out the last year of his deal.
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Cousins got off to a nice start last season before regressing in the second half of the year as opposing defenses (led by the Bears) got tougher and took advantage of a shaky Vikings offensive line. The QB's season stats looked good enough, but a playoff-costing home loss to Chicago in the season finale — in which Cousins threw for only 132 yards — left a bad taste, especially considering the high expectations in Minnesota following the 13-3 season in 2017 with Case Keenum calling the signals.
It also left Cousins still seeking his first career playoff victory. He has only a playoff loss to the Packers in 2015 on his resume from six years in Washington.
Cousins spoke candidly to media at last week's minicamp in saying he understands winning in the postseason is the only way for him to be recognized as an elite QB.
"The next level is really all about winning," he said. "I'm pretty much a .500 quarterback in my career so far, and I don't think that's where you want to be. That's not why you are brought in or people are excited about you.
"If I don't play well and I don't have gaudy statistics but we win multiple playoff games this year, the narrative will be I went to the next level. If we win, that's the life of a quarterback is then you are at the next level. And if I have my best year yet in 2019 but we're 8-8 then I didn't go to the next level.
"That's the reality of it, and I'm going to do all I can, control what I can control, and one thing I can do beyond just playing the best I can is to start really coaching and leading other people."
To their credit, the Vikings are trying to help Cousins on several levels.
The offensive coaching staff has been revamped with the new scheme of coordinator Kevin Stefanski (with input from offensive advisor Gary Kubiak) being closer to what Cousins played under in Washington. There will be more emphasis on the running game and play action passes, along with lots of two-tight-end offense now that Kyle Rudolph's contract is resolved with an extension — which Cousins is "thrilled" about — so he can be paired with talented second-round pick Irv Smith Jr.
"I'm excited about our leadership in the offensive room," Cousins said of his coaches. "Kevin is a sharp mind, classy person, knows football really well, and then you add Gary Kubiak and the rest of our offensive coaches. If we do what they tell us, I think we'll have a lot of success."
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Minnesota's offensive line, which was problematic in both 2016 and 2018, should be improved with first-rounder Garrett Bradbury plugged in immediately as starting center. The guard combo of free-agent signee Josh Kline and Pat Elflein should be better than Mike Remmers and Tom Compton were last season. But left tackle Riley Reiff will need to stay healthy and play better, and second-year right tackle Brian O'Neill must continue on the path he began last season. The Vikings also hope new offensive line coach Rick Dennison, who worked with Kubiak in Denver, can take the group to a higher level and improve the play of any backups who are forced into action.
If the line holds up — especially against Khalil Mack and the Chicago D — Cousins will be supported by one of the league's best set of skill players, led by dynamic wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs and starting running back Dalvin Cook, who looked terrific in OTAs and minicamp but must stay on the field after missing 17 games over his first two seasons.
Alexander Mattison was drafted in the third round to provide more backfield depth, but if Cook in particular has a big year running the ball in the team's zone blocking scheme (and he's an excellent receiving back), that will help set up the play action game that Cousins says "is effective, period, and you've got to call it more to slow down the pass rush, create explosive plays and get outlets in the flat."
Cousins also needs a solid third receiver to emerge, with second-year man Chad Beebe looking like the best bet to dislodge the inconsistent Laquon Treadwell from that spot. Said Kubiak: "Beebs had probably as good an offseason as any player on our side of the ball, so he's got a chance to be a really good player."
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who also oversees a solid defense that is returning 10 starters, spoke positively of Cousins' offseason work and said the defense tried to throw different looks at him to see how he would react.
"Kirk had a really good spring," Zimmer said. "He worked on some of things we felt he needed to work on. We gave him lots of different looks, things that people attacked us with their defenses last year."
Added Stefanski of Cousins' upcoming second season in Minnesota: "Having one year under his belt around his teammates is a big deal, and there's so much that goes into understanding the nuances of his receivers."
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So perhaps Cousins can replicate what happened in Minnesota following the big acquisition of a high-priced quarterback in Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton in 1972. Like Cousins, Tarkenton's first season after joining the team was a disappointment (7-7). But he and the Vikings rebounded with Super Bowl appearances in three of the next four years.
In any event, the pressure is clearly on Cousins. And it's not just from the Minnesota fans and media; it's also pressure he is placing on himself.
How Cousins responds will tell a lot about how his team will stack up in the tough NFC North and the league as a whole, along with the direction his career is headed.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on negotiation and sports business/sports management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
