A New Captain Kirk
It was surprising the mention didn’t garner more buzz a few weeks ago. Probably most of it was due to the revelation that the Bears were interested in Garoppolo. That came from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Yet in the midst of talking about that, he also let another little nugget of intrigue slip through. One that went almost entirely under the radar.
“It would take a huge haul of picks to pry Cousins away, and new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who along with his dad drafted Cousins in Washington, has a ravaged roster with needs at every position. Paying that kind of draft-pick price could be prohibitive. The Bears also have done significant work on Cousins, but with the Redskins going to franchise him and that process playing out perhaps throughout the offseason, the timing may not work out and this team can’t afford to be left without a seat in these musical quarterback chairs.”
Kirk Cousins carries a certain stigma around the NFL these days. Most view him as a backup playing above his station in Washington. That’s why the Redskins are hesitant to pay him top quarterback money in a long-term deal. This despite him leading the team to an 17-14-1 record and a division title in two years as a starter. He’s thrown for 9,083 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions across that same span and made the Pro Bowl this past season.
It seems like the more people talk down about him, the better he plays. Nobody bothers to mention that Cousins posted his record with the 28th ranked defense in the NFL two-straight years and a collection of average running backs. Nobody is saying he’s Tom Brady but the guy is productive, a leader and ultra-competitive. Best of all he’s experienced.
