The Minnesota Vikings’ new general manager doesn’t sound too excited to be trotting out Kirk Cousins during his inaugural season.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who took the GM reins in January, was profiled in a feature for USA Today Sports, where he appeared to openly question his own decision to bring back Cousins as the Vikings’ starting quarterback for a fifth season.
“I’ll be frank,” he told the paper, “the one asset where you get nervous about not burning it down is quarterback.”
While Adofo-Mensah acknowledged that the Vikings do have a “good quarterback,” he went on to say: “We don’t have Tom Brady. We don’t have Pat Mahomes. [The Super Bowl] is more likely to win if you have that quarterback. It’s very unlikely to have that quarterback.”
Perhaps harsh words for the rookie GM, who, as his first major move in charge of the team, signed Cousins to a fully-guaranteed extension that tied him to the Vikings through the 2023 season. The 33-year-old quarterback was heading into his final year in Minnesota, and Adofo-Mensah could have chosen to move on from him after this season, or perhaps seek a trade and reset the entire roster, as many other first-time GMs in 2022 have done.
Instead, Adofo-Mensah re-upped on Cousins in a scenario where he didn’t have to, perhaps choosing to maximize the window where star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is still on his rookie contract.
Cousins has put up borderline great numbers in his four seasons with the Vikings, throwing for over 4,200 yards and 30 touchdowns in all four years except for 2019. That year happened to be the only one when Minnesota made the playoffs, where Cousins orchestrated an upset of the Saints before losing to the eventual NFC-champion 49ers in the Divisional Round.
In 2021, Cousins threw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions – but the Vikings went 8-9 and fired both head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman. Ex-Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was hired as the next coach and is now tasked with bringing a more modern offense to Minnesota.
Credit: Source link
