Up until Matt Ryan signed a $150 million contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Kirk Cousins was the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback.
Turns out, having a thick wallet hasn’t convinced anyone that Cousins is a top quarterback. In fact, a list released Friday by The Big Lead has Cousins ranked 13th among NFL signal callers, falling a stunning six spots behind Jimmy Garoppolo, who has just six career starts to his name.
The Big Lead’s top 15:
- Aaron Rodgers
- Tom Brady
- Russell Wilson
- Drew Brees
- Matt Ryan
- Carson Wentz
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Philip Rivers
- Matthew Stafford
- Derek Carr
- Cam Newton
- Kirk Cousins
- Deshaun Watson
- Jared Goff
So Cousins isn’t even a top 10 quarterback? In all fairness, this is a fair list. Cousins being ranked 13th doesn’t mean anything, and it has more to do with the fact that the NFL is loaded with top notch quarterbacks than it does Cousins’ ability.
Garoppolo and Carr are probably the only two you could really justify putting behind Cousins. Even so, Garoppolo is undefeated as a starter (7-0) and Carr’s numbers are nearly identical to Cousins’ over the last three years.
- Cousins last 3 years: 13,176 yards, 81 TD, 36 INT
- Carr last 3 years: 11,420 yards, 82 TD, 32 INT
We’re sure Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer don’t care about this list, although they might be the first to point out that Case Keenum’s name isn’t anywhere to be seen.
Keenum, who led Minnesota to the NFC title game last season, enters his first season in Denver at No. 22 on The Big Lead’s list.
