Kirk Cousins's Success and Achievements in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 26, 2026

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Kirk Cousins.

Kirk Cousins is an American professional football quarterback currently playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2012. Notably, Cousins holds a high completion percentage ranking sixth all-time among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts and is 11th in all-time passer rating.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1950: Perfect Passer Rating

Against the New Orleans Saints on November 15, Kirk Cousins threw for a career-high four touchdowns and posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3, making him the first Redskins quarterback since 1950 to do that with at least 20 attempts. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game against the Saints.

2007: Tied Franchise Record

In 2007, Jason Campbell tied a franchise record for completions in a game. On October 25, Kirk Cousins tied this record with 33 completions, along with leading the Redskins to their largest comeback win in franchise history against the Buccaneers.

2010: Big Ten Conference Championship

In 2010, Kirk Cousins led Michigan State to an 11–2 record and a share of the Big Ten Conference Championship.

January 2, 2012: Outback Bowl Victory

On January 2, 2012, Kirk Cousins played his final game as a Michigan State Spartan, defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl. He also won the 2011 Lowes's Senior CLASS Award.

December 15, 2012: First NFL Start and Victory

On December 15, 2012, Kirk Cousins made his first NFL start against the Cleveland Browns, leading the Redskins to a 38–21 victory, passing for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was later voted the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.

2012: Game-winning Drive

In 2012, Kirk Cousins led a 90-yard game-winning drive against the Eagles, throwing a touchdown pass to Pierre Garçon with under a minute left in the fourth quarter to win the game 23–20.

2012: NFC East Division Title

Kirk Cousins led the Redskins to a victory over the Eagles, winning the NFC East division title for the first time since Robert Griffin III did it in 2012.

2015: Replacing Griffin

In 2015, Cousins replaced an injured Robert Griffin III and led the Washington Redskins to a division title.

2015: Highest Completion Percentage

Kirk Cousins finished the 2015 season posting the highest completion percentage (74.7) in home games in NFL history, with a minimum of 100 attempts, leading the Redskins to a 6–2 record at home.

January 3, 2016: Redskins Single-Season Passing Yardage Record

On January 3, 2016, Kirk Cousins set the Redskins single-season passing yardage record with 4,166 yards.

January 10, 2016: Wild Card Round Loss

On January 10, 2016, Kirk Cousins completed 29-of-46 passes for 329 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, but the Redskins lost 35–18. He was named the PFWA Most Improved Player and ranked 85th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

February 28, 2017: Exclusive Franchise Tag

On February 28, 2017, Kirk Cousins and the Redskins agreed to the exclusive franchise tag, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to be franchise-tagged in consecutive years.

2017: Named to Pro Bowl

Due to his performance in the 2016 season, Kirk Cousins was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2017, replacing Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Cousins was also ranked 70th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

2017: Third Consecutive Season of 4,000+ Passing Yards

The 2017 season marked Kirk Cousins' third consecutive season of passing for at least 4,000 yards. Cousins was ranked 94th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

March 15, 2018: Signed with the Vikings

On March 15, 2018, Kirk Cousins signed with the Minnesota Vikings on a fully guaranteed three-year contract worth $84 million, which was the first fully guaranteed and highest paying contract in NFL history at the time.