Over the last few weeks, Kirk Cousins has evolved from laughable goofball to potentially the coolest quarterback in the NFL thanks to his exceptional play and a little post-game dance party.
Whether referred to as Kirk Thuggins, Kirko Chains, Kirk Schiesty or any other name that sounds cool, Kirk Cousins has evolved into a beloved teammate — or at least, that's what it looks like from the outside. What's the reason for this? How did Kirk Cousins ascend the NFL's chill vibe rankings?
Cool Guy Kirk
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
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At this time last year, Kirk Cousins was often laughed at for being a goofy guy. People didn't really take Cousins seriously, and part of that was likely due to the leash that former head coach Mike Zimmer seemed to have on not just Cousins but the whole team. Now, with Zimmer gone and Kevin O'Connell in, there's been a storm cloud lifted off the team. Now, they're 7-1 with a four-and-a-half-game lead in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings are a genuine Super Bowl threat this season behind their newly crowned "cool" quarterback in Kirk Cousins.
Instead of making memes about how Kirk Cousins looks like he eats mayo sandwiches or how he grills with tinfoil over the grill, he's now being crowned as a genuinely cool dude. And it's happened over an evolution of time.
The moment Kirk Cousins became "cool" was following Week 4 after the Vikings beat the Saints in London. Following that game, a video of Kirk Cousins with Christian Darrisaw's chain on hit the internet. After each win since, a Kirk Cousins chain video is released.
The most recent installment included a hip dance that cemented Kirk Cousins in the "officially cool" club of the NFL. That said, this is a situation that could turn ugly if not ended at the right time. For instance, let's say Cousins does another video after a win, but he potentially starts trying to rap wearing a ton of chains and bracelets. It could either turn into another "You like that?!" Or, it could turn into another evolution of Kirk Cousins turning into the coolest NFL quarterback of all time. There is no in-between.
Get Kirko his chains ?? pic.twitter.com/058kB8T0DO
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 7, 2022
It's been an interesting evolution to watch because, truly, Kirk Cousins seemed like a nice guy who couldn't get his team behind him. Now, it appears as if his teammates would take a bullet for him if someone even looked at him funny. Minnesota Vikings fans can finally root their quarterback on with full-confidence of not being talked down to by some weird kid online behind a burner. If that happens, all you have to do is reply with one of the many Kirk Cousins chain videos, and that's a win for you.
Kirk Cousins is finally accepted by Vikings fans, and all it took was evolving into the coolest quarterback in the league.
