Kirk Cousins - Elite? Paid to win?

Inside and outside of Minnesota there is a lot of talk about if Kirk Cousins and if he is worth the investment they have made in him. To quote one of my fellow 5 Tool hosts and analysts the QB is paid to win...here's a list of QBs that have won their team a Superbowl in the last 20 years... (*denotes still playing)

*Patrick Mahomes

*Tom Brady

*Nick Foles

Peyton Manning

*Russell Wilson

*Joe Flacco

Eli Manning

*Aaron Rodgers

*Drew Brees

*Ben Roethlisberger

Trent Dilfer

Brad Johnson

By these metrics there are only 7 QBs in the league that are paid appropriately

PFF ranks Kirk Cousins #8 in Quarterbacks in the league. They grade every play with on a scale of -2 to +2 according to what he did on the play.

https://www.pff.com/nfl/grades/position/qb

He's ranks compositely at #8, as a passer he is also #8, and as a runner he is #6.

Here are the Quarterbacks that are ranked ahead of him (* denotes on the previous list):

1: *Aaron Rodgers

2: *Patrick Mahomes

3: Deshaun Watson

4: *Russell WIlson

5: Ryan Tannehill

6: *Tom Brady

7: Josh Allen

Here are some notable QB's behind him:

9: Dak Prescott

10: Derek Carr

11: Matt Ryan

12: Kyler Murray

13: Matthew Stafford

14: Philip Rivers

15: Lamar Jackson

18: Drew Brees

19: Ben Roethlisberger

22: Jared Goff

29: Jimmy Garoppolo

When you grade performances you need context, did the kicker miss kicks, ceding field position, did the receiver drop the ball, how are you evaluating the play of the QB.

It matters, Kirk Cousins is worth every dollar he is paid, he puts the Viking in the best position he can to win. He does his job, he fights for his team, and honestly he's a top 10 QB in the NFL.

He's got an excellent deep ball, and honestly he is supported by the team around him but what QB isn't. You do the best you can with the hand you are dealt.

It's simply not responsible as analysts to not evaluate the full picture when considering where to place your player rank.

The Vikings are all-in on Kirk, and I think it's going to pay off.