Remember when Justin Jefferson got a little too honest when comparing Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow after his rookie season?
“Kirk and Joe throw similar balls,” Jefferson told Colin Cowherd in 2021. “They’re not the strongest arms, but they’re going to get it to you exactly where you need them to throw it.
“The thing about Joe that’s a little bit different – I feel like Joe has a little bit more swagger. He has that confidence on the field, and he’s not scared to get hit. I feel like, as a quarterback, that’s a big trait to have, especially to be as young as he is. He’s a phenomenal quarterback.”
Here’s the thing: Jefferson isn’t wrong. Joe Burrow has more swagger than Kirk Cousins.
We ask athletes to be honest, then get overreact when they give us the truth. Kyle Shanahan coached Cousins in Washington and is a big fan. Cousins recalls Shanahan telling him, “My swag is having no swag. He told me to never change.”
Burrow wears shades and fur coats made out of animals that Dr. Palmer would kill. He dresses like a Miami Vice character and fits the vibe. He’s a perfect match for Jefferson, who has 100-carat teeth and a signature dance.
Cousins made $320 million by being better than the uncertain alternative. Had he not torn his ACL in 2023, he might still be in Minnesota, because we’ve seen the risk a rookie quarterback presents.
Jefferson averaged 1,640.5 yards per 17 games in his first three seasons with Cousins under center (the league moved to 17 games after his rookie season). He had 1,074 in 10 games during his injury-riddled 2023 season. However, he may not eclipse 1,000 this season.
That’s the risk in moving on from Cousins and trying to develop a quarterback. Cousins’ injury made the decision easier. The Atlanta Falcons have benched him in favor of Michael Penix, despite signing him to a $180 million contract in free agency.
Still, Cousins earned generational wealth because teams didn’t want to risk bringing on a lesser quarterback to replace him. Coaches and general managers saw him as a middle-of-the-pack talent. However, we’ve witnessed McCarthy’s growing pains this year and how they have affected Jefferson’s production.
Jefferson is still Minnesota’s star player. The Vikings are a rare team with an established star receiver and uncertainty at quarterback. Jefferson should elevate any quarterback’s play. Still, as we’ve seen with players like Jaren Hall and Max Brosmer, he can only do so much.
In speaking to Colin Cowherd after his rookie year, Jefferson was only being honest about Cousins. Jefferson had 1,400 receiving yards after making 14 starts as a rookie. Cousins could get him the ball. Still, Cousins was a mid-tier quarterback. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are Burrow’s contemporaries.
So, when Burrow says he wants to have fun playing football, and probably isn’t having a good time on a four-win Cincinnati Bengals team that can’t protect him, it’s only natural to speculate what he’d look like in purple. We’ve already seen him wear the color, connecting with Jefferson on a national-champion LSU team. Wouldn’t it be fun to bring that to Minnesota?
When reporters asked Burrow if he could ever see himself playing for another franchise, he responded, “A lot of crazy things happen every year.”
Would there be any better way to reward Jefferson for his patience than by reuniting him with Burrow? If the Green Bay Packers can trade for Micah Parsons, why can’t the Vikings land Burrow?
It’s a dangerous thought. Teams rarely trade their franchise quarterbacks, let alone a 29-year-old one who’s established himself as an elite player. That kind of daydreaming can turn into a nightmare really fast. It’s like thinking about the Vikings as Super Bowl champions after the Minneapolis Miracle, or wondering what would have happened if Gary Anderson had made that kick.
The Vikings have tried to handle J.J. McCarthy with clean hands, hoping it would bring the best out in him. In the offseason, they insulated their offensive line and built a stout defense. They gave him Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to throw to, and he could hand it off to Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.
Alas, McCarthy got hurt in Minnesota’s second game, and he didn’t play well enough in his return to keep the team relevant. They were out of the playoff picture by December.
Still, McCarthy is the proverbial bird in hand, which is worth two in the bush. In other words, it is better to hold on to what you have than risk losing it by trying to get something better. It’s the concept that turned Cousins into a $300 million man, and McCarthy may turn out to be a better quarterback than Cousins.
Joe Burrow resides in the bush. Try as they might, the Vikings may never be able to acquire him. The Vikings must hold McCarthy carefully with one hand, but nobody will blame them if they use the other to poke around in the shrubbery.
