Denver Broncos: Comparing the impact of Case Keenum vs. Kirk Cousins
The Denver Broncos dropped out of the Kirk Cousins derby this offseason and quickly turned to Case Keenum. How’s that working out for everyone?
The Denver Broncos’ main focus in the 2018 offseason was the quarterback position.
After a season that included starts from Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch, the Broncos set out to fix their serious problem under center and they explored almost every avenue to do so.
They attended bowl games and pro days for a number of top college prospects. They coached at the 2018 Senior Bowl and got all-access passes to Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen. They also had a chance to upgrade the position with a rare type of free agent class, one with multiple starting caliber players in their early 30s.
That type of offseason doesn’t come around all the time, and the Broncos ultimately came together and decided to sign veteran Case Keenum to a two-year, $36 million deal. Keenum was coming off of a very strong year with a good team in the Minnesota Vikings, and the Vikings’ three expiring contracts at quarterback (Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater, and Keenum) left them as arguably the top destination for a quarterback in the 2018 offseason.
The Vikings’ roster has been incredibly well constructed. They had a ton of cap space. Those two reasons were likely the main reasons why top free agent Kirk Cousins opted to move his family from the East Coast all the way to the Midwest and play for the Vikings.
The Vikings succumbed to Cousins’ very specific contract demands, where a team like the Broncos was simply not in a position financially to do so. The Broncos dropped out of the Cousins race (or were eliminated) pretty early on.
Because of how invested Broncos Country was in Cousins over the course of the offseason, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t paying attention to him every week so far this season.
How is he living up to that fully guaranteed contract? How does what he’s doing for the Vikings compare to what Keenum is now doing for the Broncos?
Let’s take a look at each player so far this season and the impact they are having on their respective teams in some key areas.