Respect To Justin Jefferson For Keeping It Real And Not Ranking Kirk Cousins Among His Top Five NFL QBs

Matt Fitzgerald7/11/2023 11:00 PM

Not a super recent interview here but on account of the holidays and the dearth of NFL-related news, let's make a big deal out of this. Any chance we get to celebrate Justin Jefferson's greatness is good enough for me. If the Minnesota Vikings regress as much as everyone expects them to in 2023, there won't be as much opportunity for that.

The good news? If the Vikings do, indeed, crash back to earth and Brian Flores doesn't fix their atrocious defense, the end of the Kirk Cousins era will most likely be upon us. Never in NFL history has a quarterback accomplished so little of real significance and made so much fucking money as Captain Kirk. He's even one of the main subjects of a new Netflix QB documentary.

I'm sure some of SKOL Nation would've loved to see Jefferson back his guy Kirk. Then again, given the exasperated histrionics we've seen from the superstar receiver toward Cousins on Sundays, it's not much of a surprise that he didn't go out of his way to stretch Kirk into the top five.

If you were going on pure pocket passing ability, I mean...mayyyyyyyybe you could gaslight yourself into believing Kirk is in that top-five debate (imagine thinking this, LOL). He's durable as hell. By my count, he's missed only two starts dating all the way back to 2015. I was actually surprised to learn that Cousins finished last season with the fourth-most passing yards and fifth-most TD passes while taking the third-most sacks.

Lots of obvious passing situations in close games thanks to a piss-poor Vikings D. See? Kirk Cousins!! TOP-FIVE BABY!!! Look at me. I'm making a better case for Captain Kirk than his go-to target Jefferson is!

Giphy Images.

No in all seriousness though, Jefferson's in-order top five of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen is pretty solid. I get why some people argue Rodgers over my boiiiiiii Joey B (longevity, back-to-back MVPs in the past three years, etc.). Don't agree but I'm not gonna fault Jefferson too much here. A little surprised is all, since JJ and Burrow were teammates at LSU.

Speaking of Burrow, Jefferson, and LSU, I think Ja'Marr Chase is really going to give JJ a real run for his money this year for the title of "best receiver in all of football." Davante Adams is obviously in the conversation, too.

That Burrow-Chase connection is about to be special if Joe can have a regular fucking offseason and Ja'Marr can stay healthy for 17 games. I'm sure Jefferson wishes Joey B were the man throwing him the rock.

It'll be such a compelling subplot to the entire NFL season if Minnesota sucks and the Vikings are stupid enough not to get Jefferson's second contract done in short order. He may entertain the notion of being traded, especially with Cousins due to hit free agency in 2024 and the Vikings having literally zero succession plan in place at the most important position.