Vikings' Kirk Cousins Praised for Greeting Child, Signing Autograph After Injury News

A Minnesota Vikings fan praised quarterback Kirk Cousins on Monday for signing an autograph for a child after learning he will miss the rest of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles.

Blair Reynolds posted a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Cousins signing a football for a young Vikings fan while using a scooter to get around after suffering a devastating Achilles injury during Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers:

The X user thanked Cousins for taking the time to attend the Vikings' Halloween party and sign an autograph for their nephew, while also commending the veteran quarterback for going through with his commitments despite the injury.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport replied to the tweet by writing, "That's him," which suggests it is in Cousins' nature to put others ahead of himself.

While the 35-year-old Cousins has often been the brunt of criticism and punchlines during his 12-year NFL career with Washington and Minnesota, he has been among the most productive and consistent quarterbacks in the league for many years.

Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler, including two consecutive Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2022, and his career numbers of a 66.9 percent completion percentage, 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns and 110 interceptions compare favorably to some of the all-time greats.

The main knock on Cousins over the years has been his perceived shortcomings in primetime games, as well as a lack of playoff success since he is just 1-3 in four career postseason starts.

Cousins was seemingly starting to make believers out of his detractors this season, though, as he put up MVP-caliber numbers through the Vikings' first four games, completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five picks.

Also, despite the lack of a strong running game and inconsistent play from the defense, Cousins led the Vikings to three consecutive wins, bringing their record to 4-4 after a 1-3 start.

Now, Minnesota's season could be on the brink of collapse, as superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is on injured reserve, and rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall is in line to take over as the starting quarterback.

Before going 3-of-4 for 23 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in place of the injured Cousins on Sunday, Hall had never taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game.

If the Vikings struggle for the remainder of the season with a rookie or other backup options under center, it may garner Cousins and what he has done in Minnesota over the past six seasons even more appreciation in a roundabout way.