The Minnesota Vikings are the only NFC North team to shuffle through three different starting quarterbacks in 2023.
There’s a reason, though, that they’ve had to cycle through Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens in recent weeks. It’s because longtime franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins has been out of the lineup.
What Happened to Kirk Cousins?
Cousins, the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, has been away from the field due to a significant injury — a torn Achilles.
The Vikings QB sustained the injury on Oct. 29 against the rival Green Bay Packers. He finished the contest throwing for 23 of 31 passing for 274 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the 24-10 romp.
Cousins ended up undergoing an MRI on his Achilles tendon tear the following morning. That ultimately revealed Cousins would miss the rest of the 2023 campaign.
At the time of his injury, Cousins had settled for 2,331 yards, a 69.5% completion rate, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also guided the Vikings to a 4-4 mark.
Did Cousins Provide a New Update on Timetable for His Return?
Is Cousins on the road to returning?
He is on the road to recovery. He shared that update with Super Bowl-winning brothers Peyton and Eli Manning during the Dec. 11 edition of their ManningCast. He likened his recovery to the stock market.
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“It’s going well. One day at a time,” Cousins told both former quarterbacks. “They told me that the rehab would be like the stock market where you’re in a general trend up, but some days are better than others. I joke with them that since surgery, it’s been a bull market. I’m just getting better every day and kind of waiting for that bear market, and it hasn’t happened yet.”
For Cousins, this is the first time he’s had his season truncated since 2014. He was limited to six games and five starts while with the Washington Commanders.
How the Vikings’ Offense Has Fared in Cousins’ Absence
With Cousins out, he’s witnessed the Vikings struggle offensively.
Minnesota has only reached 30 points or more in one game once since his injury. That was the 31-28 shootout win over the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 5.
But the Vikings’ offense took a turn for the worst from Nov. 27 to Dec. 10. Minnesota got bottled to 10 points in its 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears — the same game that saw Dobbs get intercepted four times at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Then, following their bye, the Vikings somehow managed a 3-0 win over the Raiders in a slow-moving offensive outing from both sides. Dobbs got yanked in favor of Mullens late in the game.
The Vikes, however, have stayed in the NFC playoff race without Cousins. They were 3-2 without him before their Dec. 16 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals and 7-6 overall.
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