Nick Bosa Explains Why Kyle Shanahan Still Loves Kirk Cousins

Shanahan is warning his players about how Cousins can beat them.

Kyle Shanahan might change his mind frequently about most quarterbacks, but not about Kirk Cousins. That's Shanahan's guy.

The 49ers will travel to Minnesota this week to face Cousins and the Vikings, and the players might not be too concerned, because the Vikings are 2-4 and they most likely see Cousins for what he is -- a good, not-great quarterback. Everyone knows that about him.

Everyone except Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan thinks Cousins is elite. As good as any quarterback in the NFL. Has felt that way for years. Remember, Shanahan drafted Cousins in 2012 when he was in Washington.

Now, Shanahan is warning his players about how Cousins can beat them.

"Kyle showed us in the meeting today he plays the position to a tee," Nick Bosa said Thursday about Cousins. "He goes through his reads, he's on time with the ball, he's accurate and he's smart. Obviously a good combination."

Can't you picture Shanahan showing clip after clip of Cousins' best plays? Can't you imagine him really pumping up Cousins, laying it on thick? Making it seem like he's nearly impossible to stop?

And can't you imagine the defensive players rolling their eyes? We're talking about Kirk Cousins, not Patrick Mahomes.

"We have to pressure him," Bosa said of Cousins. "We have to get people in his face quick and we have to be good coverage-wise because he will get rid of it if you're not. But once we lock everything down on the back end, we should get there." 

Bosa doesn't sound too worried about Cousins. Maybe Shanahan should be more like Bosa.