Underrated NFL quarterback is slowly climbing up all-time leaderboards
Playing quarterback in the NFL is the hardest position in all of sports, and this underrated QB is quietly climbing up all-time leaderboards. Listen, say what you want about Kirk Cousins, but slowly and surely, he is continuing to rise up on some all-time QB leaderboards.
If nothing else, the current Atlanta Falcons quarterback has been the epitome of consistent his entire career. He's never been an elite passer, but he does possess a winning record and has been named to four Pro Bowls. You have to give credit where it's due, and Cousins has not only carved out an efficient NFL career, but also taken advantage of his earning potential as well.
While he'll likely not make the Hall of Fame, a few more efficient seasons could make it an interesting debate when the time comes...
Let's dive into some of these numbers.
Passing Yards - 39,471, 24th all-time
Kirk Cousins ranks 24th all-time in passing yards. And he's just 4,465 yards away from passing Joe Flacco for the 18th-most in NFL history. With Flacco not being a starter anymore, and now a backup for the Indianapolis Colts, Cousins playing a full season could leap him well inside the top-20.
He'd also then be within striking distance of 50,000 passing yards, something only 12 other QBs have done in the history of the NFL.
Passing Touchdowns - 270, 20th all-time
Kirk Cousins ranks 20th-all time with 270 passing touchdowns, so 300 is very much in play for 2024. If he were to hit 300 touchdowns, he'd rank 14th all-time, which would be tied with John Elway. Cousins hitting the 300 touchdown mark would make him one of 15 other QBs in NFL history to reach that mark.
Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Russell Wilson all rank above Cousins and are still active, so Cousins might not be able to leap much more higher than 15th, but getting inside the top-20 is one heck of an accomplishment.
Completion Percentage - 66.9%, 5th all-time
Kirk Cousins is 5th all-time in passing completion, which is an extremely impressive number. Ranking above him are Dak Prescott, Jimmy Garoppolo, Drew Brees, and Joe Burrow. It make be hard for Cousins to leap those three active players, but nonetheless, he ranks inside the top five in NFL history in completion percentage.
Passer Rating - 98.2, 8th all-time
Kirk Cousins' 98.2 passer rating ranks 8th all-time, so it's another statistic that he's top-10 in. Of the seven QBs ahead of Cousins, Drew Brees is the only inactive player. We'll see if Cousins can shoot up these rankings, but you have to figure he can remain inside the top-10.
Now listen, Kirk Cousins would have to likely come away with at least on Super Bowl championship and probably 100 career regular season wins to be considered for the Hall of Fame, but you cannot deny the consistent he's displayed, and he does rank quite high on some all-time leaderboards.