Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Comes off COVID List, Will Start on Sunday vs. Bears
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is off the Reserve/COVID-19 list and will start on Sunday in the meaningless finale against the Bears, according to Mike Zimmer.
Cousins went on the list last Friday, forcing him to miss Minnesota's must-win game in Green Bay. With Sean Mannion at QB, the Vikings were unceremoniously thrashed 37-10 by the Packers and eliminated from playoff contention.
With the upcoming Week 18 game against Chicago no longer having any playoff implications, it was natural to wonder if the Vikings would start rookie QB Kellen Mond and other young players to evaluate them heading into next season. But Zimmer says that won't be the case. He's going to play his healthy starters, and that includes Cousins. The coach whose seat is hotter than ever right now is just treating this like any other week.
With a win, Cousins' career record as a starter would be back to .500 at 59-59-2. He's had yet another season where his numbers are excellent — 66 percent completions, nearly 4,000 yards, 30 TDs, 7 INTs — but it hasn't translated to that many victories. How much blame for the Vikings' disappointing season falls on Cousins is complicated discussion.
In my personal opinion, Zimmer starting Cousins and other veterans is a mistake. Why risk a guy getting a serious injury in a game that means nothing? Why not reward some of the younger players who haven't seen the field a ton all year with an opportunity to put some tape out there?
I understand the mindset of wanting to end the season with a victory and sweep a rival like the Bears. Cousins starting this game could help Justin Jefferson break Randy Moss's single season Vikings receiving record (he needs 124 yards), and it could maybe even raise his trade value heading into the offseason.
But for me, the risks and downsides outweigh the positives. That's not only the risk of injury, it's the fact that a win will swing the Vikings' first-round draft pick by several slots compared to a loss. You would never ask guys not to compete as hard as they can in an NFL game, but teams can stealthily tank by resting some of their top players in games that don't mean anything.
Cousins will start his 63rd game as a Minnesota Viking on Sunday, wrapping up a four-year run that included just a single playoff berth. After the game ends, a fascinating offseason for the Vikings begins, with questions swirling about the futures of Cousins, Zimmer, Rick Spielman, and plenty of others.
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