The Cleveland Browns have recently been linked to Kirk Cousins due to their struggles at the quarterback position and the assumption that they won’t use the second overall pick in the NFL Draft to address the issue.
Kevin Stefanski, having spent time in Minnesota, is at least theoretically familiar with what Cousins brings to the table. However, predictive metrics seem to suggest that this could be a risky move and may not lead to a successful outcome.
Kirk Cousins: What Went Wrong In Atlanta
In a word — everything.
He appeared in 14 games for the franchise, posting exactly zero ‘A’ performances by our QB+ grading system, earning a ‘C’ or worse in 10 of those outings.
He had zero touchdown passes and eight interceptions during a four-game losing streak, a run that seemed impossible for a quarterback in the modern passing environment.
That “accomplishment” only happened to three other QBs this century, and all occurred more than 15 years ago:
- Ben Roethlisberger (2005-06): Between the end of his second season and the start of his third, young Big Ben threw no touchdowns and nine picks over a four-game span. But this stretch came five years before his first Pro Bowl appearance, and the start of his 2006 season was marred by a serious offseason motorcycle crash and appendicitis that caused him to miss the season opener.
- Brett Favre (2005): This looked like the end for Favre, who threw a career-worst 29 interceptions for a woeful 4-12 Green Bay Packers team. This stretch came at the end of that lost year from Weeks 13-16.
- Alex Smith (2005): Smith put together one of the worst statistical rookie seasons ever, and actually had two different stretches that fit our criteria. The first overall pick ended up throwing one touchdown and 11 interceptions for a 4-12 San Francisco 49ers team.
For years, Cousins was one of the best play-action quarterbacks. From 2019-23 (the first year TruMedia has play-action data available), Cousins ranked second in play-action passer rating (115.0), behind only Drew Brees (126.1). In that same span, his 61 passing touchdowns off play-action ranked second behind only Josh Allen (65).
The Minnesota Vikings were able to fully lean into that strength, using play-action at the fourth-highest rate of any team from 2019-23. But in the wake of Cousins’ Achilles injury, the Falcons weren’t comfortable in dialing these plays up
Cousins’ Play-Action Percentage
- 2019: 31.4%
- 2020: 28.8%
- 2021: 26.4%
- 2022: 29.1%
- 2023: 31.3%
- 2024: 13.8%
Cousins was never anything special off non-play-action dropbacks and actually did not experience much decline there. He posted a 96.1 passer rating without play-action from 2019-23. This year, that’s only dipped to a rating of 92.1.
So Cousins is performing at roughly the same level on regular dropbacks as he did with the Vikings. However, the dropback type that allowed him to thrive has seen its usage cut roughly in half.
MORE: NFL’s Starting QBs
Relatedly, Cousins wasn’t able to generate enough downfield explosive plays to offset his lack of mobility and ball security. Cousins ranks 20th in average depth of target, which wouldn’t be a huge issue if he didn’t also pair it with his highest interception rate since becoming a starter in 2015.
As you’d expect, quarterbacks who throw the ball shorter typically also have lower interception rates since they’re attempting less risky passes. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Cousins falls into the quadrant of passers who keep it short AND have trouble protecting the ball, which is the worst place to be.
Other turnover-prone passers, such as Jordan Love and Sam Darnold, have offset their turnover woes this season with more downfield success.
Cousins’ Potential Fit With The Cleveland Browns
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun”.
Jimmy Haslam verbalized on March 31 what had become glaringly obvious to the football public, and that opens up a world of possibilities for the coming season. Cleveland owns the second pick in the NFL Draft, but it is widely speculated that they will not select a signal caller in that spot, fueling conversations about Kirk Cousins potentially reuniting with Kevin Stefanski in a stop-gap sort of way for this franchise.
The Browns have decisions to make, beginning with the No. 2 pick.
And if they decide against taking a QB, could Kirk Cousins be in play for Cleveland?@DMRussini tells @ChaseDaniel that a Cousins-Kevin Stefanski reunion wouldn't be surprising. pic.twitter.com/b48SVPLehu
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 1, 2025
As mentioned, Cousins’ 2024 season was forgettable at best and a signal to the end of his career at worst. The processing speed was lacking, and that was in an offense that not only had high-end skill players supporting him but also graded out fine from a blocking point of view – none of that would be the case should he join Cleveland.
2024 Final Rankings
PFSN Offensive Line Grading System
- Atlanta Falcons: 81.2 (B-, ranking 10th)
- Cleveland Browns: 71.4 (C-, ranking 20th)
Pressure Details
- Atlanta Falcons: 32% pressure rate (ninth)
- 30.6% when not blitzed (10th)
- Cleveland Browns: 36% pressure rate (21st)
- 35% when not blitzed (24th)
Pressure rates are going to impact quarterback play no matter who is under center, but for an aging option who has always lacked mobility and, if this move comes to light, will lack depth in terms of playmakers around him. Here’s a snapshot of Cousins’ statistical makeup when pressured in his last 14 games with the Vikings compared to his 14 with the Falcons.
Vikings
- Passer Rating: 103.0
- Yards Per Attempt: 8.1
- Pass TD%: 6.8%
- Pass INT%: 0.7%
- Pass First Down Rate: 35.8%
Falcons
- Passer Rating: 56.4
- Yards Per Attempt: 7.0
- Pass TD%: 4.0%
- Pass INT%: 7.9%
- Pass First Down Rate: 29.4%
It would appear that Father Time took his pound of flesh from Cousins last season, and it’s hard to feel good about him turning back the clock in a landing spot like Cleveland. The ability to reunite with a comfortable coach is at least interesting, but the two last teamed up in 2019 – a season in which the Vikings supported him with over 2,100 rushing yards, over 80 catches from the running back position, a trio of pass catchers that hauled in half-a-dozen touchdowns, and an offensive line that ranked eighth best in average time to throw.
Rekindling that magic would seem to be more of a pipe dream than a reasonable expectation at this point in Cousins’ career, and given the current state of the roster in Cleveland.