Coming into the season, this quarterback’s approval rating had never been higher. He had starred in several commercials and was firmly in the public eye. He had become the face of the franchise, and he was coming due for a new contract.
Everybody was on pins and needles to see what his team would do, but they opted to play out the season before giving him a new deal.
You may think I’m talking about Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings entering this season. But this story begins two years ago, and it’s about Cousins’ Week 1 opponent, Baker Mayfield.
Following the 2020 season, Mayfield was a former No. 1 pick and had the city of Cleveland in the palm of his hand. He had just led the Browns to their first playoff victory since Vinny Testaverde was slinging passes by the lake. Mayfield was thriving under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Everything was set up for Mayfield to have a long run in Cleveland. His commercials were a staple of Sunday afternoons and his “dangerous” persona made him a fan favorite as much as he was an enigma. But as he came up for a contract extension, the Browns waited to give him a new deal. They wanted to see if he could do it again.
Looking back at that 2021 season, it’s easy to see where things went wrong. Mayfield suffered a shoulder injury early in the season. Instead of resting up, he pushed through as he looked to help the team and earn his new contract. Odell Beckham Jr. (and his father) became fed up with Mayfield missing him downfield, and rumors began to swirl about Mayfield’s conflict with the coaching staff.
The Browns limped to an 8-9 record, and a report the following offseason signaled that they wanted “an adult in the room.” Deshaun Watson eventually found his way to Cleveland, and they traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers a few months later.
The trade set off a whirlwind in Mayfield’s career, and he became a journeyman quarterback. With stops in Carolina, Los Angeles, and now Tampa Bay, the past year has been filled with new cities, new systems, and new teammates. In other words, plenty of variables that Mayfield couldn’t control.
When Mayfield was asked about fellow No. 1-overall pick Bryce Young earlier this week, Mayfield drew on that experience and pointed to the one thing he couldn’t do that would have kept him in Cleveland.
“When it comes down to it, it’s all about wins and losses, but unfortunately, you have to overcome a lot of obstacles,” Mayfield said. “There’s a lot of things happening all at once, so how can you hone in on just about winning and losing?”
So what does Mayfield have to do with Cousins’ situation? Actually a lot.
Cousins has accomplished a lot in his career – especially with the Vikings. In five seasons in Minnesota, Cousins has thrown for 4,000 yards four times and 30 touchdowns three times. If you play around with Stathead long enough, you can put his name next to Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, and John Elway.
Cousins’ success hit another level last season when he engineered eight fourth-quarter comebacks and let his nerd flag fly. Kirko Chainz became a hit with teammates and fans alike, and the Vikings went on to have their first 13-win season and division title since 2017.
“I think Kirk is a great QB,” Mayfield said this week. “He’s been doing this a long time so I don’t see him as underrated. That might be the public side but I think he’s a great QB that delivers the ball well to his skill guys, commands the offense. [He’s] a great leader. [He’s] a great guy. And I think that reputation just kind of goes throughout the league for him.”
Although the Vikings came up short in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, Cousins’ popularity continued to skyrocket over the offseason. Cousins serenading Kelly Clarkson at the NFL Honors has 924,000 views on YouTube, and his stock took another jump when he appeared on the Netflix docuseries Quarterback.
Like Mayfield a few years ago, there was a case to give Cousins a fat new contract. But the Vikings held off in order to keep their options open.
Looking at Cousins’ track record, it’s almost puzzling why the Vikings didn’t at least give him the one-year, iron-clad extension that they have in the past. But it’s because Cousins needs to complete the steps that Mayfield couldn’t in overcoming the obstacles around him to win games.
Since he was drafted in 2012, Cousins has overcome more obstacles in his career than a parkour expert. He was a fourth-round pick by the Washington Commanders, who had selected Robert Griffin III with the second-overall pick in the same draft. When he got into the starting lineup, he still had his doubters, which helped him spawn his “You Like That?” catchphrase. Still, that wasn’t enough to get a long-term commitment from the Commanders.
Cousins walked into a roster that went to the NFC Championship Game in 2017, but there were more obstacles.
John DeFilippo clashed with head coach Mike Zimmer, and the Vikings fired DeFilippo midseason. The offensive line was bad, and the defense aged out. There were three more offensive coordinators and a relationship with Zimmer that should have led to a street fight on Hennepin Ave.
Hiring Kevin O’Connell helped Cousins, but there were still more obstacles. He had to learn another offense, deal with a rib injury, and help the Vikings dig out of some early holes. He even won a game in prime time! But the final hurdle – a fourth-and-eight against the New York Giants – was too much to overcome.
With no contract extension, Cousins is in a similar position as Mayfield was two years ago. If Cousins takes the Vikings on the type of run they haven’t seen since 1987, there’s a good chance the team makes one final investment in their quarterback. If he doesn’t, Cousins could be looking for a new team this year.
But don’t take my word for it. Ask Cousins, who acknowledged this when speaking to reporters this week.
“If we win football games, everything else will take care of itself,” Cousins said. “Let’s just focus on what we need to do to win and it really won’t be much else to think or be concerned about if we’re winning football games.”
