Mike Zimmer has interesting quote about Kirk Cousins’ role in offense

The Minnesota Vikings’ offense has been a focal point for several seasons, and not for good reasons. The team has struggled to find an explosive mix on offense, with quarterback Kirk Cousins often singled out for perceived underachievement.

That’s what makes Vikings coach Mike Zimmer’s comments Thursday so interesting. Zimmer said he and Cousins recently watched film together for the first time, adding that Cousins would likely prefer more autonomy on offense.

Zimmer said he watched film with Kirk Cousins for 1st time today at the request of the QB. I asked Zimmer whether Cousins, entering Year 10 (7 as a starter), wants more autonomy in the offense: "I think he does, yeah. I think he’s got opinions on a lot of things, yeah."

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 9, 2021

Zimmer doesn’t exactly say Cousins is going to get the autonomy he may want. It certainly doesn’t sound like the two are close, though it’s worth remembering that Zimmer is a defensive coach who doesn’t take on much of a role in the offensive gameplanning.

It’s worth noting that Zimmer has hinted at more freedom for Cousins in the past, but nothing has really changed. The veteran quarterback threw 35 touchdown passes and accumulated 4,265 passing yards for Minnesota last year, but the team went just 7-9 with him at the helm.