Why Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Thanks God for Losses: ‘I Recognize My Faith More’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Kirk Cousins revealed how he views his losses as opportunities to thank God on a recent Sports Spectrum podcast.
“I recognize my faith more in a loss,” Cousins said, reflecting on one of his first losses during his college football career. “I think in a win sometimes you start to say ‘I got this. I know what I’m doing. I got this figured out.’”
“It’s the losses where you’re reminded that I don’t know what I’m doing, and I need help, and God’s gonna have to be bigger than my shortcomings and my inadequacies,” he continued.
He revealed, “I found myself almost in a moment of peace in that chaos to say, ‘I’ve got an anchor. I’ve got a foundation.’”
“Thank you God that my life is not built on football because this is not a stable foundation,” he remembered thinking at the time.
“I have a worldview that says that [God’s] in control and that you don’t waste failure and that you’re going to use it for a purpose and that there’s a purpose to pain,” Cousins added. “So my ‘why’ is a lot bigger.”
Cousins experienced some major wins this season as he led the Vikings to 13 wins and the greatest comeback in NFL history.
Sports Spectrum reports Cousins quarterbacked Minnesota to a 39-36 victory over Indianapolis after trailing 33-0 at halftime, a story he hopes to use to share the Gospel with others.
“This is why I’m playing. This is why I’m doing this,” he shared. “This is why I go out there is to use the platform to point to that which is more important and eternal.”
“Both the wins and the losses become great opportunities to recognize who God is in your life,” Cousins concluded.
Movieguide® previously reported on Cousins’ faith:
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Kirk Cousins will receive the 2023 Bart Starr Award at this year’s Super Bowl Breakfast before the big game.
The Bart Starr Award recognizes one NFL player who best demonstrates character, integrity and leadership on and off the field. Cousins will be honored for his commitment to being a positive role model for his family, teammates and community.
He frequently talks about his Christian faith, even displaying Proverbs 3:5-6 on his website: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
“I learned He’s decisive and the Holy Spirit is never confused,” Cousins said of his decision to let the Holy Spirit guide his life. “So if there’s disagreement, the problem is probably on our end, not on His. He’s always spoken to me through His peace.”
He continued, “I think at times where I fail as a leader is probably when I haven’t allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and when I do allow the Holy Spirit to handle it—I think that’s when I’m most successful as a leader.”
