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Kirk Cousins Suggests He Could Be Benched Moving Forward

By Jason Schandl

Kirk Cousins knows he could be benched if he continues struggling with too many interceptions.
Kirk Cousins knows he could be benched if he continues struggling with too many interceptions. / Abbie Parr/Getty Images
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The Minnesota Vikings are off to a brutal start to the season, especially after being considered real contenders to win the NFC North this offseason. At 1-5, they just suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the previously-winless Atlanta Falcons.

A big part of that has been the poor play of Kirk Cousins, who has thrown a league-leading 10 interceptions in just six games. Cousins knows how much of a problem these picks are, and he even acknowledged that he could be benched if he doesn't turn things around.

It's too early to completely write off the Vikes' season. After their Week 7 bye, they travel to Lambeau for a rematch with the Green Bay Packers. However, another loss would all but eliminate Minnesota from playoff contention.

Cousins' 10 picks aren't only the most in the NFL, but they're also more than he's thrown in any single season since joining the Vikings in 2018. His average of 7.1 adjusted yards per pass attempt (AY/A) is his worst since 2013 when he started just three games.

Minnesota signed him to a massive 2-year, $66-million contract extension this offseason, and that move is already looking like a poor one.

Of course, benching Cousins isn't the move to make unless the team is committed to tanking. Backup Sean Mannion isn't likely to be any better on the turnover front, having thrown 3 interceptions with 0 touchdowns on 74 NFL pass attempts.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.