Amid a difficult tenure in Atlanta, the 37-year-old quarterback reignited his free-agent market with a spectacular performance against the Buccaneers.

The Atlanta Falcons’ season is over. But Kirk Cousins’ NFL career definitely is not. While Baker Mayfield was forced to take responsibility for a numbing loss on Thursday Night

It all started with a fan inquiry on Reddit, which was titled “ This Mendoza kid from IU is giving me straight Kirk Cousins vibes circa 2015 .” According to the Redditor, Mendoza’s “ teary-eyed and churchy ” persona was painfully similar to that of Cousins’ back when he was still competing for the since-renamed Washington Redskins.

The 2025 Minnesota Vikings have hit rock bottom. J.J. McCarthy has consistently struggled to complete seemingly routine passes and has become a meme

While this ranking seems reasonable on the surface, Cousins was ranked above two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson in NFL.com's Week 14 QB power rankings. The Ravens quarterback is having a down year by his own standards, however, Jackson still has 1,841 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 104.5.

The Buccaneers fell to 7-7, a half-game behind the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South. It has been a tough time for Cousins, who was benched last season and lost his job. He got it back due to a season-ending knee injury to Penix. He had been written off at age 37. But for one night at least, the Falcons looked smart for keeping him on the roster.