What makes an NFL quarterback a journeyman in today’s NFL? Here’s the answer: He doesn’t have the necessary traits to stick around the league. Earl Morrall is one such example. The veteran quarterback spent his first six seasons in the league with six different teams, including the Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Oakland Raiders. However, he wasn’t as lucky as some of his more successful teammates.
Nick Foles
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Journeyman NFL quarterback Nick Foles. Although Foles has spent the past eight seasons on four different teams, he has been able to make a lot of money as a journeyman. Foles was selected by the Eagles in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and went on to throw for 1,699 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions in his rookie year. During his second season, he had a Pro Bowl performance. In 2015, he made the team again as a second-string quarterback.
Despite his inconsistent performance in Philadelphia, Foles’ contract with the Bears was restructured to give him more flexibility to play for a team. He now has three years to prove his worth and earn $21 million in guaranteed salary. After two years, he can opt out of his contract and start over. Foles will have a big chance to win a Super Bowl. He could earn a starting spot with the Colts.
David Carr
The younger brother of current Los Angeles Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, David Car was the number one pick in the 2002 NFL draft. David Carr struggled to protect the football and was sacked a staggering 266 times in his career. Carr has also struggled to avoid sacks and has been ranked by NESN as the eighth worst number one pick in NFL history. Despite his lackluster NFL career, Carr managed to build a nice life for himself and has worked as an analyst for NFL Network since 2016.
David Carr started his NFL career in 2006 with the Texans and played for two seasons with them before being cut from the team in 2011. In his first season with the Texans, Carr passed for 2,086 yards with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions while rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked just 15 times, but his error-prone stats led to his release from the team.
Lynn Dickey
The Green Bay Packers acquired quarterback Lynn Dickey in the spring of 1976. Dickey had hoped to wear the No. 12, but it was already taken by another journeyman quarterback, Don Milan. The aspiring quarterback was forced to settle for the No. 10. However, after Dickey returned to the Packers for the 1980 season, he approached quarterbacks coach Zeke Bratkowski and asked him to wear the No. 12. He wore it for the next seven seasons, and Dickey retired at age 36.
The Washington Post has summed up Fitzpatrick’s NFL career perfectly. He began as a backup quarterback, won a starting job, and crashed back to earth. While the term “journeyman quarterback” is overused in the NFL, Fitzpatrick may have defined it better than anyone else. While the NFL has plenty of journeyman quarterbacks, this one has a circular trajectory that he’s followed for most of his professional career.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
If you were looking for a former NFL quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick might be the guy you were looking for. After all, he played for nine different teams in 17 years. As a seventh-round draft pick, he was nothing more than a “fallback” option for teams with no clear-cut starter. Despite this, he has nothing but praise for his former team, the Buffalo Bills.
As an NFL journeyman, Fitzpatrick spent time with nine teams over the course of his career. Though he never managed to secure a long-term starting position, he has gained a reputation as one of the league’s most reliable backup quarterbacks. In fact, he often pulled off comebacks and upset wins for his teams. In fact, he’s been named the most consistent NFL backup quarterback.
After a long and successful college career at Harvard University, Fitzpatrick was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. However, his only winning seasons came in the 2015 New York Jets and the 2020 Miami Dolphins. Fitzpatrick also had a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was able to set a franchise record by throwing for over 400 yards in three consecutive games.
Josh Johnson
The New York Jets signed Josh Johnson, a journeyman NFL quarterback who has spent the last 12 years on the practice squad or on the active roster of different NFL teams. Johnson, a former fifth-round draft pick from San Diego, has appeared in 14 NFL games and has spent time on the practice squad or active roster of 13 different teams. He has played in just seven games since 2012, and he has yet to start a regular season game. Despite his lengthy NFL career, Johnson is not worth his $6 million contract.
Despite his age and lack of experience, Johnson has a good track record for being a reliable insurance policy. He has played for seven NFL teams since being drafted as a fifth-rounder in 2008. The Jets selected him in 2008, making him the team’s 160th overall pick. Despite being just 32 years old, Johnson has already played five seasons in the NFL, including two seasons with the Washington Redskins. He has experience in various offensive systems and is a healthy backup quarterback.
Josh Johnson’s career as a journeyman quarterback
During his 12-year NFL career, Josh Johnson has bounced around from team to team. A fifth-round pick from San Diego in 2008, Johnson has been a part of 13 NFL rosters and the practice squad of seven others. His experience as a journeyman has given him the ability to build relationships within the league. In addition, his work ethic and leadership skills have helped him get to where he is now.
After his stellar sophomore season, Johnson was named a third-team Associated Press All-America and PFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led the San Diego Aztecs to a 10-0 record and a Top 25 appearance in school history. Johnson threw for 3,320 yards and 34 touchdowns and rushed for 720 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the FCS in total offense and had four games of over 300 yards. He threw for a touchdown to Antonio Bryant in his first start and continued his impressive play.
While his first NFL season was in Tampa Bay, he has moved on to other professional leagues, including the United Football League and XFL. Since then, he has played for the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Oakland Raiders, the San Diego Chargers, and the New York Giants. Although Johnson has yet to make his first NFL start, he did spend time with the United Football League.
Case Keenum’s career as a journeyman quarterback
After spending his entire life in the NFL, Case Keenum has found some comfort in his hometown. The Minnesota native is the son of Steve Keenum, who was an offensive lineman and later the head coach of McMurry University. He is also known for his passing offensive strategy. He is married to Kimberly Keenum. The couple has one child, a son named Case Keenum.
Since his debut in 2012, Case Keenum has spent one season with each of the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos. Before making his NFL debut, Keenum played one season for the C-USA Conference and spent a season with the Houston Cougars. Keenum was named the C-USA MVP and the Sammy Baugh Trophy winner in both of those years.
After his rookie season, Case Keenum spent his first two seasons as a practice squad player. He was claimed off waivers by the Rams on October 28th and waived twice. He was signed back by Houston as a member of their practice squad on 30th October. He then won his first two games for the Texans against Baltimore and Jacksonville, then was traded back to the Rams for a seventh round pick the following year. He started three games in his final four games, and he earned a starting job in 2016 and was then signed by the Minnesota Vikings.
In this article, I’m going to argue that Kirk Cousins is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. While he’s no Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning, he is definitely in the conversation as a top-10 quarterback. But who is Kirk Cousins’ greatest rival? And what can he do to get there? Let’s find out.
Kirk Cousins is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time
Some people think that the NFL’s best quarterback is Tom Brady, but there’s no question that Kirk Cousins has surpassed these greats. In fact, he’s the sixth-best quarterback in the league in both QB Rating and PFF grade. In addition, he’s ranked 5th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. In fact, many of the NFL’s top quarterbacks have won Super Bowls. But does Kirk Cousins have what it takes to be one of the greats?
Many people have called Kirk Cousins an inconsistent quarterback. But his numbers are too consistent to be described as inconsistent. Peyton Manning said that he’s “pocket aware” and “movable” while discussing Cousins’ ability to throw the ball. Those aren’t the only things that separate him from Peyton Manning and Brady. It’s hard to pick a favorite among these three players.
No quarterback has ever had as many winning seasons as Kirk has. He’s won four Superdome games, including three NFC playoff games, twice. And he’s had the same number of playoff victories in the Superdome as Tom Brady. And he’s thrown for 4000 yards in five years, compared to Tom Brady’s three. And his chin is the most important part of his uniform – it shows that he means business and makes the players respect him.
Cousins has been a consistent quarterback for Washington. His completion percentage was over 67% and he led the NFL in completion percentage in 2015 and 2016. On his last regular season game, he completed four of five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Nevertheless, his performance was disappointing against the New York Giants and he was not able to complete a single pass.
He’s not a top-10 quarterback
Although the Vikings were a surprise first-round pick last season, Kirk Cousins has fallen out of the top-10 NFL quarterback discussion. His numbers were too good to ignore, but a recent infusion of talent has bumped him out of the conversation. In fact, there are several younger quarterbacks in the league who are better than Cousins right now.
Many critics don’t give Kirk Cousins enough credit. He has thrown for more yards than Dak Prescott and Josh Allen, has a higher completion percentage than Tom Brady, and has fewer interceptions than Aaron Rodgers. However, his statistics don’t show him in the same light as these other players. His only other stat, which many people believe is more important, is his number of touchdown passes this season.
If we were to take a closer look at Cousins’ stats, we can see why he’s not a top-10 quarterback. His tally of 19 touchdowns versus seven interceptions in close games is one of the most impressive in the NFL. Even his career.500 numbers aren’t enough, though. Cousins needs to get better at coloring outside the lines.
In his book “Spartan QB: How to Be a Better Football Player,” Kirk Cousins describes his philosophy and personal process of evaluation. He asks himself before every throw whether it was a good decision or a bad one. Cousins defines bad decisions as putting the ball in harm’s way. By evaluating each throw in this way, he can improve his overall game and make his team better.
He’s not Aaron Rodgers
If we look at passing statistics alone, we see that Kirk Cousins is slightly ahead of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, with the latter slightly behind them. However, quarterback statistics don’t tell the whole story, as they don’t take into account the quarterback’s offensive system, pass-catching weapons, and much more. When these factors are taken into account, the numbers begin to become much more interesting.
While Kirk Cousins is a decent quarterback, he’s no Aaron Rodgers. Elite quarterbacks know how to elevate their team to the next level, even in the face of tough situations. Kirk Cousins has a high football IQ and knows how to exploit holes in opposing defenses. The Minnesota Vikings have given him two hefty contracts since he was designated the starting quarterback in 2015.
But it’s hard to argue with his numbers, especially when compared to Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings’ quarterback has a better record against winning teams than against losing ones. His career record against winning teams stands at 65.4 percent with 11 interceptions. He’s also a better passer with a 95.5 passer rating.
Although Kirk Cousins may be the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, he doesn’t rival Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers may be the best quarterback in the NFC North, but his stats don’t speak for himself. The Packers don’t have any receivers over seven hundred yards since Davante Adams broke the NFL record last year. Their second-leading receiver in 2017 was Allen Lazard. Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins have the most talented receivers in the NFL.
If you’re a fan of Aaron Rodgers and his legendary playbook, you may be considering the Vikings’ new QB. With Kevin O’Connell at the helm, Cousins is expected to embrace an air attack this season. He’s already been with the team for four seasons, and his nerdy persona is helping him get ready for the next level.
He’s not Peyton Manning
The debate over whether Kirk Cousins is the greatest NFL QB of all time will go on for as long as there are players who are better than Peyton Manning. While Manning may have won the Lombardi Trophy, Cousins may never be the gold standard when it comes to throwing mechanics. In addition, he’s never played for a legendary head coach. In my opinion, despite all of that, it’s easy to see why many consider him the best NFL quarterback of all time.
When asked why he failed a play, Kirk Cousins consistently breaks it down, explaining why a play failed or succeeded. In a recent game against Notre Dame, he threw an incompletion, which was intercepted by Notre Dame. This moment illustrates the importance of making good decisions, and a strong character trait for any quarterback.
When it comes to the check-down game, Kirk Cousins is clearly superior to Peyton Manning. He’s not only the most consistent NFL quarterback, but he also surpasses Manning and Dan Marino in the check-down category. He’s also the highest scoring QB of all time. And that’s saying a lot!
Another reason why Cousins isn’t Peyton Manning’s successor is because his offense doesn’t have a distinct identity. When Cousins plays with his teammates’ defense, he can’t make many mistakes. Instead of throwing a fumbled pass, he’ll throw a deep pass or challenge tight windows. He rarely operates outside the play structure, and his aggressiveness is determined by the defense and the play call.
He’s not Tom Brady
The NFL is still in the midst of its quarterback controversy, but Kirk Cousins is the clear frontrunner. The Washington Redskins star has won four straight playoff series, including one in the Superdome, and has a better passing efficiency rating than Brady. Then again, his defense ranks 28th in the WFT. And he has been able to carry two teams to 7-9 seasons. The question is: is Kirk Cousins the best NFL quarterback of all time?
When it comes to quarterback ratings, Kirk Cousins ranks sixth in the NFL, fourth in the PFF grade, and fifth in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. Even his stats don’t matter if critics say he’s not the best. The stats alone can’t tell the whole story. If we can’t measure success by winning, who is?
So, if Tom Brady is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, is Kirk Cousins the best? It’s possible. But Cousins is still a good starter, and he’s not even close to Brady. However, Cousins surpassed Brady in other areas, too. For example, Cousins’ contract is so large that it cleared much-needed cap space for the Vikings.
While Adofo-Mensah wasn’t insulting Kirk Cousins, he did make a valid point. In the NFL, the quarterback is the most important position, and while he’s no Tom Brady, he’s still a decent NFL QB. If you’re looking for a great quarterback, try to keep him.