Kirk Cousins
#1 QB,
Vikings
ACTUAL 2022
292 FPTS
RANK: 8
2023 SEASON
341 FPTS
RANK: 11
AGE
34 yrs
HEIGHT/WEIGHT
6'3'' / 205 lbs
COLLEGE
Michigan State
| SEASON | GP | FPTS | RANK | PAATT | PACMP | PAYD | PATD | PAINT | COMP% | RUATT | RUYD | RUTD |
| 2023 | 16 | 341 | 11th | 607 | 398 | 4393 | 30 | 13 | 65.6 | 33 | 99 | 1 |
| 2022 | 17 | 292 | 8th | 643 | 424 | 4,547 | 29 | 14 | 65.9 | 31 | 97 | 2 |
| 3yr Ave | 16 | 290 | 9th | 507 | 343 | 4030 | 31 | 9 | 68% | 31 | 111 | 1 |
Four scoring tosses in loss
Published: 2023-09-14
Cousins completed 31 of 44 passes for 364 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in the Vikings' 34-28 loss to the Vikings on Thursday night. He also lost a fumble.
As was the case in a Week 1 upset loss to the Buccaneers four days earlier, Cousins put together an elite fantasy performance in defeat that was only marred by a lost fumble on a sack early in the third quarter that led to an Eagles touchdown. The veteran once again unsurprisingly displayed his greatest chemistry with Justin Jefferson, with whom he connected on 11 occasions for 159 yards. However, Cousins' quartet of scoring tosses went elsewhere, hitting T.J. Hockenson for a pair of five-yard touchdowns and adding 62- and 10-yard connections with rookie Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn, respectively. Cousins has already put up over 600 pass attempts in a season on three separate occasions during his long career, and with 88 through two games in the new campaign, he's well on his way to surpassing the mark yet again. Cousins will look to continue his strong start to the season in a Week 3 home matchup against Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 24.
Fantasy Points by Week 2022
Weekly Stats 2022
| Fantasy Points | Betting | Passing Stats | Rushing Stats | Advanced Passing Stats | Targets | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| WEEK | STADIUM | GAME | RANK | SPREAD | O/U | ATT | CMP | YD | TD | INT | COMP% | RATING | ATT | YD | TD | AIR | CATCH | 20YD+ | PLAY | WR | RB | TE | |||||
| 1 GB | Dome 72° | 19.1 | 11th | -2.0 | 47.5 | 32 | 23 | 277 | 2 | 0 | 71.9 | 118.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 72% | 100% | 39% | 59% | 19% | 19% | |||||
| 2 @PHI | Outdoor 79° | 8.8 | 26th | 3.0 | 49.5 | 46 | 27 | 221 | 1 | 3 | 58.7 | 51.1 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 67% | 0% | 14% | 50% | 24% | 24% | |||||
| 3 DET | Dome 64° | 18.3 | 9th | -6.5 | 52.5 | 41 | 24 | 260 | 2 | 0 | 58.5 | 93.5 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 6 | 61% | 25% | 40% | 56% | 10% | 24% | |||||
| 4 @NO | Outdoor 64° | 12.9 | 22nd | -4.0 | 44.5 | 38 | 25 | 273 | 1 | 1 | 65.8 | 84.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 76% | 100% | 37% | 66% | 11% | 13% | |||||
| 5 CHI | Dome 57° | 22.2 | 6th | -8.5 | 43.5 | 41 | 32 | 296 | 1 | 1 | 78.0 | 94.7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 81% | 100% | 37% | 63% | 12% | 17% | |||||
| 6 @MIA | Outdoor 85° | 16.5 | 12th | -3.5 | 45.5 | 30 | 20 | 175 | 2 | 0 | 66.7 | 104.2 | 2 | -5 | 0 | 4 | 67% | 0% | 40% | 70% | 3% | 20% | |||||
| 8 ARZ | Dome 53° | 23.5 | 6th | -4.0 | 47.5 | 36 | 24 | 232 | 2 | 0 | 66.7 | 103.0 | 4 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 67% | 40% | 26% | 56% | 17% | 14% | |||||
| 9 @WAS | Outdoor 71° | 16.4 | 12th | -3.0 | 43.5 | 40 | 22 | 265 | 2 | 1 | 55.0 | 81.8 | 2 | -2 | 0 | 9 | 60% | 25% | 25% | 55% | 18% | 23% | |||||
| 10 @BUF | Outdoor 38° | 15.5 | 19th | 6.5 | 46.5 | 50 | 30 | 357 | 1 | 2 | 60.0 | 71.8 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 66% | 67% | 30% | 68% | 12% | 20% | |||||
| 11 DAL | Dome 29° | 2.2 | 30th | 2.5 | 47.5 | 23 | 12 | 105 | 0 | 0 | 52.2 | 64.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 57% | 0% | 13% | 44% | 4% | 44% | |||||
| 12 NE | Dome 36° | 21.9 | 9th | -2.5 | 42.5 | 37 | 30 | 299 | 3 | 1 | 81.1 | 116.1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 6 | 84% | 100% | 41% | 62% | 14% | 22% | |||||
| 13 NYJ | Dome 37° | 11.8 | 25th | -3.0 | 45.5 | 35 | 21 | 173 | 1 | 0 | 60.0 | 82.2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 69% | 50% | 25% | 60% | 14% | 20% | |||||
| 14 @DET | Dome 40° | 25.0 | 5th | 2.5 | 52.5 | 41 | 31 | 425 | 2 | 0 | 75.6 | 124.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 78% | 50% | 21% | 71% | 7% | 20% | |||||
| 15 IND | Dome 19° | 32.4 | 4th | -3.5 | 47.5 | 54 | 34 | 460 | 4 | 2 | 63.0 | 99.3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 65% | 33% | 24% | 70% | 9% | 19% | |||||
| 16 NYG | Dome 2° | 24.2 | 3rd | -4.5 | 47.5 | 48 | 34 | 299 | 3 | 0 | 70.8 | 107.9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 73% | 0% | 28% | 52% | 10% | 35% | |||||
| 17 @GB | Outdoor 39° | 7.9 | 24th | 3.5 | 47.5 | 31 | 18 | 205 | 1 | 3 | 58.1 | 49.2 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 7 | 65% | 25% | 22% | 48% | 13% | 39% | |||||
| 18 @CHI | Outdoor 32° | 13.0 | 16th | -6.5 | 44.5 | 20 | 17 | 225 | 1 | 0 | 85.0 | 130.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 85% | 75% | 30% | 60% | 25% | 10% | |||||
Performance Splits: 2020 to 2022
| Fantasy Points | Passing Averages | Rushing Averages | |||||||||||||||
| LOCATION | STADIUM | GP | GS | GM | RANK | YD | TD | INT | COMP% | RATING | AIR | CATCH | 20YD+ | YD | TD | ||
| Home | Dome | 25 | 25 | 19.6 | 1st | 271 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 67.2 | 103.0 | 71% | 43% | 7 | 8 | 0.1 | ||
| Away | Outdoor | 17 | 17 | 15.6 | 19th | 246 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 64.9 | 91.1 | 69% | 42% | 6 | 8 | 0.1 | ||
| Away | Dome | 4 | 4 | 25.8 | 5th | 365 | 2.5 | 0 | 71.6 | 119.9 | 74% | 40% | 7 | 2 | 0.3 | ||
| Away | Retractable Dome | 3 | 3 | 12.9 | 37th | 206 | 1.3 | 1 | 61.3 | 86.3 | 66% | 31% | 8 | 13 | 0.0 | ||
Career Stats by Season: 2012 to 2022
| Fantasy Points | Passing Stats | Rushing Stats | Advanced Passing Stats | Targets | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | GP | GS | TOTAL | RANK | ATT | CMP | YD | TD | INT | CMP% | RATING | ATT | YD | TD | AIR | CATCH | 20YD+ | PLAY | WR | RB | TE | ||||
| 2012 | 24 | undefined | 3 | 1 | 33 | 38th | 48 | 33 | 466 | 4 | 3 | 68.8 | 101.6 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 8.3 | 73% | 38% | - | 71% | 17% | 13% | ||||
| 2013 | 25 | undefined | 5 | 3 | 34 | 44th | 155 | 81 | 854 | 4 | 7 | 52.3 | 58.4 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 6.6 | 59% | 31% | - | 68% | 11% | 19% | ||||
| 2014 | 26 | undefined | 6 | 5 | 88 | 35th | 204 | 126 | 1,710 | 10 | 9 | 61.8 | 86.4 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 6.4 | 70% | 42% | - | 60% | 15% | 25% | ||||
| 2015 | 27 | undefined | 16 | 16 | 293 | 8th | 543 | 379 | 4,166 | 29 | 11 | 69.8 | 101.6 | 26 | 48 | 5 | 6 | 75% | 37% | - | 57% | 18% | 25% | ||||
| 2016 | 28 | undefined | 16 | 16 | 300 | 5th | 606 | 406 | 4,917 | 25 | 12 | 67.0 | 97.2 | 34 | 96 | 4 | 7.3 | 71% | 48% | - | 58% | 15% | 25% | ||||
| 2017 | 29 | undefined | 16 | 16 | 278 | 6th | 540 | 347 | 4,093 | 27 | 13 | 64.3 | 93.9 | 49 | 179 | 4 | 5.6 | 69% | 36% | - | 55% | 21% | 23% | ||||
| 2018 | 30 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 283 | 12th | 606 | 425 | 4,298 | 30 | 10 | 70.1 | 99.7 | 44 | 123 | 1 | 5.5 | 74% | 32% | - | 66% | 16% | 16% | ||||
| 2019 | 31 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 244 | 15th | 444 | 307 | 3,603 | 26 | 6 | 69.1 | 107.4 | 31 | 63 | 1 | 5.9 | 73% | 38% | 26% | 45% | 27% | 23% | ||||
| 2020 | 32 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 306 | 11th | 516 | 349 | 4,265 | 35 | 13 | 67.6 | 105 | 32 | 156 | 1 | 6.7 | 71% | 41% | 24% | 55% | 18% | 21% | ||||
| 2021 | 33 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 300 | 11th | 561 | 372 | 4,221 | 33 | 7 | 66.3 | 103.1 | 29 | 115 | 1 | 6.5 | 70% | 42% | 20% | 62% | 19% | 16% | ||||
| 2022 | 34 | MIN | 17 | 17 | 292 | 8th | 643 | 424 | 4,547 | 29 | 14 | 65.9 | 92.5 | 31 | 97 | 2 | 6.1 | 70% | 42% | 29% | 60% | 13% | 22% | ||||
Stellar numbers in Week 1 loss
Published: 2023-09-10
Cousins completed 33 of 44 passes for 344 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding three rushes for seven yards in the Vikings' 20-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also lost two fumbles.
The Vikings' day was essentially an ongoing contradiction between the stat sheet and the scoreboard, and Cousins' performance was a fitting microcosm of such. The veteran signal-caller was highly efficient while averaging 7.8 yards per attempt, and his passing yardage total was more than all but three of his games from last season. However, Cousins' pair of first-quarter fumbles were each damaging, with the first short-circuiting a drive that had reached the Buccaneers' 26-yard line and the second coming at his own 21-yard line and leading to a Tampa Bay field goal. Cousins did encouragingly rookie first-round pick and new No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison for a 39-yard touchdown among his two scores, but he'll have an uphill battle to replicate his performance with a Week 2 Thursday night road matchup against the Eagles on tap.
Not likely to see action Thursday
Published: 2023-08-09
Cousins isn't likely to play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Seahawks, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune.
Goessling suggests that it's unlikely the Vikings will play many established players versus Seattle, with Cousins and Justin Jefferson likely to be spectators Thursday. Assuming that's the case, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall will be available to handle the team's QB reps.
Not expecting new contract
Published: 2023-06-15
Cousins said Wednesday that he doesn't expect to discuss a new contract with the Vikings until next offseason, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reports.
Cousins is in the final season of his contract and said he wants to finish his career in Minnesota, but the Vikings seemingly want to take it year by year at this point rather than making another long-term commitment. His passing efficiency stats dropped last season in his first year under coach Kevin O'Connell, with a career-high 646 attempts somewhat allowing the QB to make up for it from a fantasy standpoint. Cousins turns 35 in August and should get plenty of volume again after the Vikings replaced Adam Thielen with first-round pick Jordan Addison and released RB Dalvin Cook.
Not committed beyond 2023
Published: 2023-03-17
The Vikings aren't committed to Cousins beyond 2023, as his recent restructure pushes more of the cap hit to future years without changing the length of the contract, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The team used void years rather than an extension, but another contract could still happen next offseason or even later this year. While the Vikings hope to find a young quarterback to develop behind their 34-year-old, long-time starter, there's no guarantee of finding the right player this spring or next, especially without the luxury of an early first-round pick. Minnesota's offense largely looks the same as last year through the first few days of the 2023 league year, with the exception of Adam Thielen leaving and blocking tight end Josh Oliver coming over from Baltimore. Quarterback and wide receiver are two of the positions Minnesota could target early in the 2023 Draft, though in terms of filling short-term gaps it's the defense that needs more help. Either way, Cousins is year-to-year with the Vikings, which arguably was the case even before this offseason.
Plays well in playoff loss
Published: 2023-01-15
Cousins completed 31 of 39 pass attempts for 273 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 31-24 wild-card round loss to the Giants. He also punched in a one-yard touchdown on his lone rushing attempt.
Cousins was dialed in throughout the contest, providing strong numbers for fantasy lineups despite taking the loss. The veteran signal-caller's day soured on the Vikings' final drive when he targeted a covered receiver for three yards on 4th-and-8, effectively turning the ball over and ending Minnesota's Super Bowl hopes. The 34-year-old finished the regular season with 4,547 passing yards and a 29:14 TD:INT ratio, numbers that should keep him ranked in the upper third of fantasy quarterbacks as we look towards next year. Cousins and his top offensive weapons are all under contract for 2023, so this core will attempt to run it back with a deeper playoff run next season.
Makes abbreviated appearance
Published: 2023-01-08
Cousins completed 17 of 20 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 29-13 win over the Bears.
Cousins' output came despite him only playing the first half of Sunday's game. With Minnesota preparing for the playoffs, backup Nick Mullens filled in while Cousins was rested after halftime. In the wake of a poor performance in Green Bay last weekend, Cousins' improvement Sunday -- when he set a season high for completion percentage -- should help his confidence heading into the postseason.
May not play full game
Published: 2023-01-06
Head coach Kevin O'Connell intimated Friday that Cousins and other key starters on offense and defense may not play the entirety of the Vikings' Week 18 game in Chicago, Joe Nelson of SI.com reports. "We've got a pretty clear cut plan with how we want to go about the whole game, but we're going to go in with the expectation of our guys going and try to get off to a good start and play good football," O'Connell said.
Minnesota is assured no worse than the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs regardless of how this weekend's games transpire, but since the Vikings will need a win over the Bears plus a Cardinals win over the heavily-favored 49ers to climb to the No. 2 seed, O'Connell may not have much incentive to expose key players to an injury heading into the wild-card round. While Cousins and all of the Vikings' other starting skill-position players look poised to play at least one series, the uncertainty of whether they'll play much beyond that makes it tough to reliably project any in Week 18 season-long or DFS lineups.
Three picks in Sunday's loss
Published: 2023-01-01
Cousins completed 18 of 31 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions in Sunday's 41-17 loss to the Packers. He added 37 rushing yards on three carries.
It was a rough day for the entire Vikings offense at Lambeau Field, as Cousins lost two offensive linemen to injury during the game and had little time or space in which to operate. He was replaced by Nick Mullens late in the rout, as the Vikings prioritized keeping Cousins healthy ahead of the playoffs, and with nothing but seeding to play for in Week 18 against the Bears, it wouldn't be surprising if Mullens got the start.