Kirk Cousins

At 36 years old, Kirk Cousins has this physical status:

College career

Cousins was redshirted for the 2007 season. He served as Brian Hoyer's backup quarterback throughout the 2008 season. He played in five games, totaling 310 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He competed for and gained the starting quarterback position against teammate Keith Nichol in 2009. With 19 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and 2,680 passing yards in 12 games, he led Michigan State to a 6–7 (4–4) season. He led Michigan State to an 11–2 (7–1) record and a share of the Big Ten Championship in 2010.

The Spartans lost 11–3 (7–2) in 2011 in the first-ever Big Ten championship game. Cousins was named Second-Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and played his last game as a Michigan State Spartan on January 2, 2012, defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl. Against the Michigan Wolverines, his teams posted an undefeated 4–0 record. Cousins received the 2011 Lowes Senior CLASS Award. Cousins who are interested in kinesiology have made a specialization.

Professional career

Cousins was chosen by the Washington Redskins as the seventh pick in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, making him the 102nd draft pick overall. Many analysts were taken aback by the Redskins' 2011 Heisman Trophy pick Rob Griffin III as the second overall pick to be their franchise quarterback. The Griffin III pick was acquired by the Redskins over three years by giving the St. Louis Rams four high-value draft picks over three years. In the case Griffin was hurt, Cousins were seen as an insurance policy, with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan saying, "You're one or two plays away from being the starter." When the Redskins drafted Heath Shuler with the third overall pick and later drafted Gus Frerotte in the seventh round, the Redskins drafted Griffin and Cousins in the same draft.

Cousins has committed to the Redskins for four years beginning on May 31, 2012.

Cousins threw three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the preseason against the Chicago Bears, but the Redskins would fall 33-31. Cousins had 15 of 27 passes for 222 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their fourth and final game of preseason, defeating the Redskins 30-3. Over incumbent quarterback Rex Grossman, he was named the back up quarterback.

After Griffin sustained a concussion, Cousins made his NFL debut in the third quarter of a Week 5 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins threw his first NFL touchdown pass on a 77-yard pass to Santana Moss on a 77-yard touchdown pass, but the Cousins intercepted two interceptions in the last two series of the game, attempting to tie the game.

In Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, Cousins made his second NFL appearance. Griffin sustained a knee injury on the final drive of the game, with the Redskins down 8. Cousins went 2–2 and ended the game with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garçon with 29 seconds remaining, bringing the Redskins within two points of the Ravens. Shanahan called for a run-pass option on the two-point conversion, and Cousins scored on a quarterback draw to tie the game at 28 points. In overtime 31–28, the Redskins would triumph.

Cousins was named as the Redskins starter for the Week 15 game against the Cleveland Browns on December 15, 2012, his first NFL appearance. Cousins recovered the offense to a 28-point second half after a slow start. Cousins won by 38-21 after being 26-of-37 for 329 yards on two touchdown passes. Cousins was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week by the end of the week, becoming the third Redskins rookie to be lauded this season (after Griffin and Alfred Morris).

In three games and one start, the Cousins finished his rookie year with 466 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The Redskins made a 10–6 record in the NFC East. They met the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round. Cousins continued to play in the fourth quarter in the aftermath of an injured Griffin, despite a 24-14 loss. He was 3-of-10 for 31 yards in the game and was unable to rally the team to victory.

Cousins recalled Robert Griffin III for the remainder of the year after Shanahan deactivated him in order to shield him for the next season, with Rex Grossman as Cousins' backup. He finished 29-of-45 for 381 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in Week 15, which was a narrow 27–26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

In five games and three starts, the Cousins finished his second professional season with 854 passing yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Cousins had said that he was open to a trade with the Redskins as a result of February 2, 2014.

Cousins revealed in March that he would be giving the #12 jersey to incoming new wide receiver Andre Roberts for the cost of a $12,000 donation to the Kirk Cousins Football Camp. Cousins then switched to the #8 jersey, which he wore during his high school and college careers.

Cousins came in relief of Griffin, who was forced to leave the game due to a dislocated ankle. In a 41–10 victory, the Cousins ended the game with 250 passing yards and two touchdowns. Cousins threw for 427 yards in his first game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the first game he had over 400 passing yards. The Eagles also lost an ensuing slugfest to Washington, 34–37. Cousins' poor showing against the New York Giants the following week, throwing for a touchdown with four interceptions and a lost fumble. With a total of 6 turnovers, the Redskins were blasted 45-14.

Cousins continued to improve against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, with DeSean Jackson throwing for two touchdowns without an interceptor, including a 68-yard touchdown pass. Despite Cousins' good showing, the Redskins lost by a score of 27–17. After a poor showing in the first half of the Week 7 game against the Tennessee Titans, Joe was suspended at halftime in favour of backup quarterback Colt McCoy and did not appear in any more games for the remainder of the season.

Cousins was named the starter for the season over Robert Griffin III on August 31, 2015. Cousins led a 90-yard game-winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 4, his first since 2012, when he to Pierre Garçon with under a minute left in the fourth quarter, winning the game 23-20.

Cousins led the Redskins to their first comeback victory in franchise history on October 25, which was a major win. Cousins finished with 317 yards and four total touchdowns, three passing and one rushing in the final seconds of the game after being down 24–0 in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home, throwing the final touchdown pass to Jordan Reed. In a game with 33 players, the Cousins tied Jason Campbell for the highest completions, tying him in 2007. Cousins were caught on camera screaming, "You like that?" as they stepped into the locker room after the game. Cousins, his partners, and Redskins fans continued to use reporters throughout the remainder of the season. Cousins and his brother Kyle applied to trademark the catch later this season and began selling T-shirts with the word in order to raise funds for the International Justice Mission charitable group.

Cousins threw for a career-high four touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints on November 15, as well as a receiving a perfect passer rating of 158.3, making him the first Redskins quarterback to do so with at least 20 attempts. Cousins passed for four touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills on December 20, and ran for another in a Redskins win, his second four-touchdown passing game of the season.

Cousins spent six seconds inside the Eagles' redzone against the Philadelphia Eagles this week, running out the clock and losing any chance of advancing on Washington's lead. Despite all that, Cousins finally scored four touchdowns in the game, his second straight four-touchdown display and third overall on the season. The Redskins won the NFC East division championship for the first time since Griffin III did it in 2012.

The Cousins reached their highest completion percentage (74.7%) in home games in NFL history during the 2015 season, leading the Redskins to a 6–2 record at home. He was also the first Redskins quarterback to have at least four passing touchdowns in three or more games in one season since Sonny Jurgensen in 1970. He set the Redskins single-season passing yardage record against the Dallas Cowboys on January 3, 2016, defeating Jay Schroeder, who had 4,109 in 1986. He finished the season with 29 passing touchdowns, second in Redskins history behind Jurgensen who had 31 in 1967, while Sammy Baugh, who had 70% of his passes in 1945, was second in team history.

Cousins had 29-of-46 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round on January 10, 2016, but was suspended six times and lost one fumble. The Redskins lost 35-38, capping their season. On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016, he was ranked 85th by his peers.

Cousins was supposed to be an unrestricted free agent during the 2016 offseason, but the Redskins used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him on March 1, 2016. The tag ended as a one-year, $20 million deal, which barred other teams in the league from signing him without forking up two first round draft picks to the Redskins.

Cousins threw for a career-high 458 passing yards at Wembley Stadium in London during Week 8 International Series match against the Cincinnati Bengals, which culminated in a 27-27 tie. Although the game ended in a tie, it was also the first time a game held in London went into overtime. Cousins threw for 375 yards along with three touchdowns in a 42-24 victory, earning him his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Cousins general manager Scot McCloughan was caught on camera after the game asking "How you like me now?" Cousins was apparently discussing questions regarding his potentially lucrative long-term deal with the team next season, according to many in the media. Cousins completed 41 of 53 passes for 449 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions on Thanksgiving Day, putting him second on the list of most passing yards in a football game in history. Cousins was named NFC Offensive Player Of The Month for his work in November and November, his second time winning the award. Cousins scored a career-high two running touchdowns in Week 16, defeating the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve.

Despite missing the playoffs, Cousins led the team to a winning record of 8–7–1 and a career-best 4,917 passing yards, his third-highest passing yard record in the NFL, behind Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, who ran third in the league, setting multiple personal and team records set the previous year. The Cousins' 67% completion rate ranked No. 1 on the charts. The No. 7 and his 47 percent deep-ball completion percentage ranked No. 9 out of a total of 46 percent. In 2016, there were five best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Cousins was named to his first Pro Bowl after his season, up from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who was unable to attend the game due to the Falcons' appearance in Super Bowl LI. Cousins played through most of the second half of the game, including a fumble on Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib after running an interception late in the fourth quarter. Cousins was also ranked 70th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

Cousins and the Redskins tried to reach an agreement on a long-term contract before the start of free agency, but it was only after that agreement was reached on the exclusive franchise tag that made the first quarterback in NFL history to be franchise-tagged in consecutive years.

Cousins was 25-for-30 for a season-high 365 yards and three touchdowns against the Oakland Browns on NBC Sunday Night Football, winning him his fourth NFC Offensive Player of the Week award of his career. Cousins tied for the first time in a 38–30 loss during Week ten against the Minnesota Vikings. The Redskins posted a 7–9 record in 2017 and missed the playoffs.

Cousins finished the season 347-of-540 for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He passed for at least 4,000 yards in his third straight season. He rushed 49 times for 179 yards and four running touchdowns in addition to his passing totals. Cousins ranked 94th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

Cousins signed with the Minnesota Vikings on a fully backed three-year deal worth $84 million on March 15, 2018. This is the first completely guaranteed contract and, as of signing, the highest wage contract in NFL history.

Cousins passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns in his Vikings debut against the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener. He finished with 425 passing yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in the next game against the Green Bay Packers, despite the fact that the game came in a 29-29 draw. In the 38-31 road loss, Cousins threw for 422 yards and three touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. Despite Cousins' solid statistical start to the season, inconsistency within the offense, and coaching staff's hard work ended up affecting the Vikings' season. The Vikings were still in the playoff hunt going into Week 14, but offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was fired after losing 21–7 road on Monday Night Football. The Vikings won their next two games, against the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions, with Cousins passing for five touchdowns and an interception combined. With a win over the Chicago Bears, the Vikings would have qualified to the playoffs, but they lost 24–10, with Cousins passing for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Cousins had 4,298 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and ten interceptions to go along with 123 passing yards and a touchdown in his first season with the Vikings.

Cousins won 28-28 after a season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. In the 21–16 road loss, he completed 14 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. In the 34–14 victory over the Oakland Raiders, Cousins completed 15 passes for 174 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass, in the 34–14 victory. In Week 4, he had two fumbles and no passing touchdowns, but he still had 27 times for 233 yards against the Chicago Bears, but he still had 27 times for 233 yards. Cousins won by 28 points and two touchdowns in the next game against the New York Giants. In the 38-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he threw for 333 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. Cousins passed for 337 yards and four touchdowns in the 42–30 road victory over Week 7 against the Detroit Lions.

Cousins threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos in Week 11, as the Vikings overcame a 20-point first half deficit and defeated the Denver Broncos 27–23. In the 37–30 road loss, he threw for 276 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, extending Cousins' record to a 0–8 record. Cousins threw for 122 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 23-10 loss during Week 16 against the Packers for a second time on Monday Night Football. With the victory, the Packers clinched the NFC North division championship. On Monday Night Football, Cousins' record was also extended to 0–9. Cousins did not participate in the regular season finale against the Chicago Bears because of the Vikings' playoff position. He finished the 2019 season with 3,603 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions, as well as 63 rushing yards and a touchdown. Cousins was also named to his second Pro Bowl appearance.

During the 26–20 road victory, Cousins threw for 242 yards and the game-winning touchdown to tighten Kyle Rudolph in overtime. Cousins threw for 172 yards, a touchdown, and an intercept in the 27-10 road loss in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers.

Cousins' two-year, $66 million contract extension with the Vikings was signed on March 18, 2020.

Cousins threw for 113 yards and three interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts on Week 2 of Week 2. He ended the game with a 15.9 percent, the third lowest figure in Vikings franchise history. Cousins had a much better outing against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, throwing for 251 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions during the close 31-30 loss. During the 31–23 road victory, the Vikings' first victory of the season, they threw for 260 yards and a touchdown. Cousins threw for 343 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks later, defeating the 40–23 loss. In the first half of the game, he threw all three interceptions. During the 34-20 victory over the Detroit Lions, he passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 attempts.

Cousins threw for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and an interceptor in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, a 19–13 road victory. Cousin's first Monday Night Football win after going 0–9 in his career. Cousins threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys during Week 11 on Week 11. In the upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers, he threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns. This was Cousins' third straight game with a passer rating over 100 percent. For his play, he was named as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Cousins threw for 305 yards, three touchdowns, and an interceptor in the 27-23 overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars the next week. During the 33–52 road loss, he tore the Vikings from playoff contention three weeks later against the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day. Cousins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another during the 37-35 road win, with Cousins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns and a touchdown. For his play, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Cousins finished the season with 4,265 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, as well as 156 running yards and a touchdown.

In a 27–24 overtime road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cousins began the 2021 season with 351 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Cousins drew backlash over his decision not to obtain the COVID-19 vaccination, but he promised to follow NFL protocols. Holland Hospital, with whom Cousins had been a spokesperson, announced that Cousins' position would be terminated indefinitely as a result of his remarks, which stemmed from a personal decision. Cousins was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and ruled out for the game against the Green Bay Packers prior to Week 17.

To go along with 115 rushing yards and a touchdown, the Cousins finished the season with 4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was selected for his third Pro Bowl of his career.

Cousins' one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed contract extension through the 2023 season began on March 13, 2022.

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