Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has found himself needing to prove doubters wrong on more than one occasion. He has constantly had to show that he was worth the kind of money that the team signed him to and more often than not, he has been up to the task.
While the Vikings haven’t been able to become true contenders with Kirk Cousins under center, it is far from being solely his fault. He has done a great job of leading the offense and has excellent chemistry with wide receiver Justin Jefferson. In recent years, the defense could not get stops which has held the team back.
Heading into 2023, the Vikings are hopeful that the defense can improve and that they can build upon their NFC North-winning 2022 campaign. While Kirk Cousins is focused on helping the team win, he recently went to bat for another quarterback who he believes doesn’t get the recognition they deserve.
Kirk Cousins recently spoke very highly of Las Vegas Raiders quarterback, Jimmy Garoppop. Garoppolo is tasked with replacing long-time starter Derek Carr in Sin City, who was released earlier this offseason. Garoppolo even being available for the Raiders to bring in is something that left Kirk Cousins scratching his head.
“I kind of always scratch my head at the Jimmy Garoppolo situation in San Francisco because I know how hard it is to win in this league,” Kirk Cousins said (h/t Clutch Points). “And it seems like every time he goes out there, they win.
“And then, they’re moving on from him or trying to draft somebody and trade up, and I’m thinking, ‘It’s pretty hard to win double-digit games in this league, and that’s all they seem to do when the plays.’ So obviously, I don’t know all that goes on there, but if he does it again with the Raiders, at some point, this guy’s just a winner.”
Winning is certainly something that Garoppolo has excelled at during his career. While he isn’t considered an elite quarterback, when healthy, he has proven that he can get the job done in the stat that matters the most.
In three out of the last four seasons, Garoppolo has been a major piece of the 49ers advancing to the NFC Championship game. He was the starter in two of them, going 1-1 before a season-ending injury opened the door for Brock Purdy to take over as the starter in 2022.
Purdy’s success, coupled with the presence of 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, made Garoppolo expendable this offseason. While Kirk Cousins doesn’t see why a change was necessary for San Francisco, the best asset a team can have is a quarterback on a rookie contract. Without Garoppolo, the 49er now have two to choose from.
