Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson was asked to give his top five NFL quarterbacks, and he appeared to shade Kirk Cousins… or did he?
It's the NFL offseason, which means there's no better time to compile arbitrary lists and make vain attempts to determine their validity in the broader context of real, actual football.
That's how we arrive at Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, maybe the best player in world at his position. He was asked to name the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, and to be fair, what better source to answer such a question than the best WR, who works intimately with his quarterback on every possession?
If anyone should know what makes an elite QB elite, it's Jefferson. His current QB companion in Minnesota is Kirk Cousins, the 34-year-old who continues to provide rock-solid stability in the pocket for a Vikings team on the very cusp of contention.
Cousins' absence on Jefferson's top five list has caused a bit of a stir in the NFL fandom, but here's the thing… he didn't even leave Cousins off the list.
Justin Jefferson definitely did not shade Kirk Cousins with top five QB list
Jefferson's list plays out in fairly predictable order at the start.
No. 1 is Patrick Mahomes. Sure, we all know that.
No. 2 is Aaron Rodgers. Hmmm, not sure about that one, but he has the respect of every player. If ever there was a wide receiver's quarterback, it's Rodgers.
No. 3 is Joe Burrow. Okay, check. LSU teammates and also, this is the correct answer given the names left on the board.
No. 4 is Jalen Hurts. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. He can run, throw, improvise. No hate.
No. 5… Josh Allen. Okay, absolutely a top-five QB. Maybe should be a few spots higher even. But where's Kirk Cousins? Is Justin Jefferson shading Kirk Cousins?
No. Keep listening. After saying Josh Allen, he mutters something that sounds suspiciously like "Kurt Cobain." But I don't think Jefferson was jamming to Smells Like Teenage Spirit before the interview. What he probably said was "Kirko Bangz," the name of a Texas-based rapper who based his name on the Kirko Chainz nickname that was bestowed upon Cousins.
Ah ha! So, Jefferson basically says fifth place is a tie between Josh Allen and Kirk Cousins, which feels like totally appropriate teammate B.S. to placate the fanbase. And frankly, so what if Jefferson left Cousins off the list? Is Kirk Cousins a top-five QB? No. Why should Jefferson get penalized for telling the truth?
Cousins is coming off one of the best individual seasons of his career, in which he threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns while going 13-4 under center. But those numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and the names ahead of him. Heck, where is Lamar Jackson? Justin Herbert? There are far more compelling "snub" arguments than Kirk Cousins, who again was not actually left off the list.
There's nothing like a little summertime debating over positional rankings in the NFL. But let's not give Jefferson too much heat for a take he didn't even have.