After 5-1 Start, Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is Sixth in NFL MVP Odds

Cousins' stats aren't the best, but he's having fun and his team is winning games.

Heading into the Vikings' bye week, quarterback Kirk Cousins has the sixth-best odds to win the 2022 NFL MVP award, according to BetOnline.

• Josh Allen: 10/11
• Jalen Hurts: 5/1
• Patrick Mahomes: 15/2
• Lamar Jackson: 9/1
• Justin Herbert: 20/1
• Kirk Cousins: 25/1

Cousins is still a longshot because of the quarterbacks ahead of him, most notably Allen, Hurts, and Mahomes, leaders of the consensus top three teams in the NFL. But with the Vikings sitting at 5-1 through six weeks, there's a case to be made that they're the fourth-best team in the league.

Winning the MVP award is as much about narratives and team success as it is about statistics, although those are important as well. That's the main case for Cousins, who has modest numbers through six games.

So far, Cousins has a 9-to-5 touchdown to interception ratio and 1,502 yards (tied for 9th). His ranking in advanced stats like PFF grade (8th), passer rating (15th), QBR (17th), EPA (16th), and CPOE (17th) don't paint the picture of an MVP candidate.

The most important stat for Cousins is 5-1. He's long been criticized as a player who puts up empty numbers on mediocre teams and doesn't drive winning at a high level. This year, Cousins is off to his best start from a team success standpoint since the Vikings were 6-2 in 2019. 

Cousins also seems to be having more fun than he's ever had in a Vikings uniform. He didn't have the strongest relationship with Mike Zimmer, but he does have a great relationship with Kevin O'Connell. Along with the rest of his teammates, he seems to have benefited from the culture change brought about by the Vikings' new regime.

Another angle of Kirk “Big Kirko” Cousins rocking numerous chains on the postgame flight (via @chrisdarrisaw71 on IG) pic.twitter.com/cHavpHNB9v

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 16, 2022

If Cousins picks up his statistical pace over the final 11 games of the season and the Vikings end up winning 12 or 13 games, it's not crazy to think he could at least be in the mix for MVP. Still, he would have to play extremely well to have a chance at surpassing Allen, Hurts, and Mahomes.

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