Getty Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings.
There are few former teammates from the Minnesota Vikings that Kirk Cousins is a bigger fan of than wide receiver K.J. Osborn — but after a disappointing final year with the Vikings from Osborn, Cousins’ recent praise came under fire.
Appearing on “The Big Podcast with Shaq” on April 3, Cousins was asked if there’s any teammates he would like to see have a breakout year, naming Osborn specifically.
“Pretty much all of them, but K.J. Osborn is a receiver who was with us in Minnesota who was kind of in the shadow of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen,” Cousins said. “And I always felt like K.J. was better than the opportunities he got. He went to free agency and went to New England, and I’d love to see him have a huge year in New England kind of with a bigger role than what he had in Minnesota to show what he could do.”
A 2020 fifth-round pick, Osborn did not play a single offensive snap his rookie year before emerging as the franchise’s first true WR3 since Jarius Wright. In 2021, he posted 655 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, including a walk-off overtime game-winning touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Osborn added 650 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2022 behind Jefferson and Thielen.
But after Thielen departed for the Panthers and Jefferson missed seven full games with a hamstring injury, Osborn struggled to step up in their absence. He finished the year fourth in receiving yards (540) and struggled to be the same clutch player he was earlier in his career, leading to some scrutiny of Cousins’ comment on Osborn’s opportunities this season on social media.
After posting a career-high seven drops, Osborn tallied the eighth-highest drop rate (12.7%) among receivers who saw at least 39 targets last season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). His 53.9 offensive grade ranked 90th among qualifying receivers.
Former Vikings WR K.J. Osborn Poised for Plenty of Opportunity With Patriots
GettyK.J. Osborn and Kirk Cousins wore matching Bounty jackets in Las Vegas ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl.
The writing was on the wall that Osborn would leave in free agency this offseason after the Vikings drafted Jordan Addison last year.
After a troubling 2023 season, Osborn signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the New England Patriots this offseason.
He figures to have the inside line for the top wide receiver spot in a depleted Patriots pass-catching core that includes Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thorton and former Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jalen Reagor as his main competition. Jacoby Brissett is the presumptive starting quarterback for the Patriots, who are considering drafting a quarterback in this year’s draft.
Cousins’ best wishes for Osborn to have a breakout season could be in the making for Osborn, who could prove his worth this season and garner a long-term deal next year.
Kirk Cousins Reveals Why He Changed Numbers With Falcons
GettyKirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
Joining the Atlanta Falcons this season, Cousins was hoping to retain No. 8 by paying tight end Kyle Pitts for the number.
Pitts was open to the deal but, according to Cousins, the two stars would have to buy out all the remaining Pitts jerseys that the NFL has produced — which would have cost “several hundred thousand dollars,” according to Cousins.
“Then the league spoke into it,” Cousins said on Shaq’s podcast. “They were like ‘Well, Kyle Pitts has a lot of jerseys that are No. 8 with Pitts on the back. You would have to buy every single one.’ ”
Instead, Cousins will be wearing No. 18 for the Falcons, who will visit the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium next season.
#Falcons QB Kirk Cousins said Kyle Pitts was willing to give up his #8, but the NFL told him he’d need to purchase all the current jerseys in stock, which would cost hundreds of thousand of dollars—something no one was willing to do.
(via @bigpodwithshaq)