Getty Rob Gronkowski predicted the Vikings would trade Kirk Cousins this season if they fall to 0-3 with a loss to the Chargers in Week 3.
Rob Gronkowski believes the Minnesota Vikings‘ Week 3 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers is a must-win for Kirk Cousins.
Cousins, who has voiced his desire to retire as a Viking but must “earn the right” to do so, is playing some of the best football of his career despite the team’s 0-2 start. He’s tied for the league lead with six passing touchdowns and ranks second with 706 yards passing along with the sixth-highest quarterback rating (70.6) in the NFL.
But if the Vikings drop another game Sunday against the Chargers, the chances of Cousins’ making a playoff appearance that could shift the narrative of his career would be kaput. Only six teams since 1979 have made the postseason coming off a 0-3 start to the season.
Gronkowski predicted that if the Vikings lose on Sunday, the team will kickstart “serious change” at the quarterback position to kickstart their rebuild.
“For the Vikings, if they go 0-3, there’s going to be some serious change at the quarterback position. They have a good team, but they can’t finish, they can’t win games. Their head coach is going to be staying there, he’s only in his second year, but I feel like Kirk Cousins will be shipped out. Somebody’s going to want to trade for him that’s a playoff contender,” Gronkowski said on the “Up & Adams Show” on September 20. “He’s a good player, he’s putting up the stats, he’s playing well. Kirk Cousins will get shipped out, and they’ll be billing for the future, hopefully, tank for Caleb Williams out of USC next year.”
This is one helluva Week 3 prediction from our guy @RobGronkowski:
What do you think?
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Addresses 0-2 Start
GettyKirk Cousins during the Vikings’ Week 2 loss to the Eagles.
Speaking to local media on Wednesday ahead of Week 3, Cousins wasn’t shocked by the o-2 start but also wasn’t demoralized given the close margin of each loss.
“We’re 0-2, and we’re minus-6 in turnover margin. If you’d have told me that after two weeks, we’d be minus-6, I would tell you we’d be 0-2. So don’t really have to look at much else,” Cousins said. “That pretty much tells the story. That being said, we’re in those games, it comes down to the last couple plays, and there’s something encouraging to take from that, but only so much. At some point the bottom line is you’ve gotta win.”
The Vikings’ three first-half fumbles against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 squashed their chances on several potential scoring drives, although the Eagles didn’t capitalize on those turnovers either.
Regardless, the fumbles haven’t helped this season, and they’re more of a matter of luck and less on fundamentals with professional football players.
the larger emphasis for the rest of the season should be on shoring up the running game, which the Vikings did with two moves this week.
Vikings Acquiring Cam Akers, Dalton Risner Show They’re All-In in 2023
Getty Cam Akers in his final game with the Rams on September 10, 2023 in Seattle.
The Vikings’ 10 days between games brought two new arrivals in free-agent guard Dalton Risner and Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers, who was acquired by trade.
Both players figure to play a role this season in improving deficiencies in the offense, especially in the running game that is the league’s least productive entering Week 3.
Ideally, both would be integrated into the offense in time for Sunday’s pivotal game against the Chargers, but Kevin O’Connell made no promises of either player being instant starters this week.