Troy Aikman makes bold comment about Kirk Cousins

Oct 21, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL Half of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman before the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Aikman is a big fan of Kirk Cousins, and he is not shy about sharing that.

Aikman and his broadcasting partner Joe Buck were on the call for ESPN’s broadcast of “Monday Night Football” in Week 7 between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings had just kicked a short field goal to go up 19-7 in the third quarter on the Niners.

As Minnesota was getting ready to kick off, Buck noted how well Cousins was doing in the game on passes of 10 yards or more. Aikman used that stat as an opportunity to praise the often-criticized Vikings QB.

“Everybody has an opinion on Kirk Cousins. He’s a top ten quarterback in my book,” Aikman said.

"Everybody has an opinion on Kirk Cousins. He's a top ten quarterback in my book." – Troy Aikman pic.twitter.com/sS6KuLl1xG

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 24, 2023

There are plenty of critics who point out that Cousins often struggles in big games — especially ones in primetime. He was sharp against a tough Niners defense though and went 35/45 for 378 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception while leading his team to a 22-17 win.

Aikman praised Cousins again after the game went final.

“Kirk Cousins was outstanding … it’s a great win for a guy who many said can’t win on primetime television,” Aikman said.

Aikman is a former quarterback, so some may think he overdoes his praise of QBs. But let’s not forget that Aikman will call out a quarterback when it’s necessary. His praise of Cousins is meaningful.

Minnesota is now 3-4 and suddenly seems to be back on track after a bad 1-4 start to the season.