Getty Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins
No quarterback in the NFL has been hit more than Kirk Cousins during the 2022 season.
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback has been the epitome of durability despite a league-leading 84 hits through 16 games. He’s never missing a game due to an injury in his career.
But with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s on-field medical emergency on January 2 bringing the risks of playing football to light, even Cousins admitted it’s hard to brush off the possibility of a potentially life-altering injury aside.
“I do think that what happened Monday night, it’s hard to ignore or just shake off,” Cousins said in a January 4 press conference, adding that the Vikings have addressed the matter in team meetings throughout the week.
“It is a reminder of the risk we take on. I think we’re all aware of them. They’re not quite as front and center as they are right now. But that risk is always there. As a football player, you understand that.”
Vikings’ Kirk Cousins Moving Forward With Trust
In his press conference, Cousins was asked about how he resists playing tentatively, acknowledging that injuries are more likely to happen when athletes are not confident in their movements.
“You really try to trust your training and your instincts,” Cousins said. “Every game you’re aware of the risks and you still have to go play.”
While Cousins acknowledged the pressures around the league entering this week, he wasn’t too consumed by the forefront issues facing many NFL players this week.
“You think of quarterback in professional football as a high-pressure job, but I thought of the medical professionals who were addressing the medical situation on the field on Monday night and that’s a whole ‘nother definition of it,” Cousins said. Praying for his full healing and recovery and try to keep moving forward.”
Vikings’ Harrison Phillips Addresses Emotions Surrounding Former Teammate Damar Hamlin’s Situation
Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips has the deepest connection to Hamlin as a former Bills player. Hamlin, who is showing “remarkable improvement” but is still in critical condition as of January 5, had a locker near Phillips’ and participated in Phillips’ charity events throughout their season together in 2021.
Phillips has remained in contact with the Bills and bought dinner for Hamlin’s family, the training staff and the ICU doctors and nurses who are caring for him, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported.
Phillips, who is on the NFL Players Association’s health and safety committee, addressed the risks of playing football earlier this season.
From The Athletic’s Alec Smith:
That day, following the Vikings’ Week 1 win over the Packers, Phillips had been asked about the physicality of training camp. He cited league-wide injury numbers, then described the thoughts that had tumbled through his mind as he made his way to U.S. Bank Stadium.
“Driving to that first game, or sometimes when I’m praying in the morning, there’s like an eerie, very emotional feeling,” Phillips said. “It’s a very violent game.”
Phillips even referenced others’ jokes about player health and safety at the beginning of the season.
“People say, ‘This is the best your body is going to feel for the next six months or three months, whatever,’” Phillips said. “But that’s the real reality of it. And it’s an emotional thing to think, like, ‘Dang, this is the best I’m going to feel. I’m about to put my body through hell.’”
Phillips added that while players assume the risk of football every day, it’s a risk that’s borne beyond themselves.
“I’m sure every significant other of a player has said, ‘This could have been you,’” Phillips added. “It touches really hard for us.”