Kirk Cousins wouldn’t ‘turn down’ chance to play for Bill Belichick, explains what makes him a ‘great coach’

Longtime Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has been all over the headlines recently, as has Bill Belichick, the legendary coach who recently parted ways with the New England Patriots. While Cousins has never played for Belichick, he does have a lot of respect for the eight-time Super Bowl winner.

With Cousins set to hit free agency in March, he could be looking for a new coach to play for. If that coach is Belichick, Cousins would certainly be interested. 

“I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to play with a future Hall of Fame coach, but we’ll have to see where March leads,” Cousins told CBS Sports. “It’s just a lot of unknowns right now.”

Cousins tore his Achilles in the Vikings’ Week 8 victory over the Packers, leaving his future with Minnesota in doubt. The four-time Pro Bowler could very well return to the Vikings, but a lot can happen over the next few weeks that could affect what jersey he wears next year.

For now, the only thing certain is that Cousins is looking forward to getting back on the field and has a lofty goal for the next chapter of his career. 

“I certainly want to play a few more years of football, so I’m hoping that in the remaining years left before me and my football career that I won’t be sitting around watching playoff football, but that I’ll be playing playoff football,” Cousins said. “That’s certainly a goal up ahead.” 

While the NFL world continues to speculate about Cousins’ future, the same goes for Belichick and his next landing spot.

Belichick spent the past 24 seasons as the coach of New England, helping the Patriots win 17 division titles and six Super Bowls — the most of any NFL head coach. His two other Super Bowl rings came from when he was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

“Great respect for him as a coach, like everyone else in pro football,” Cousins said of Belichick. “If you go to that many Super Bowls, win that many Super Bowls, go to that many conference championship games, have the defensive production that he’s had for years and years, it says it all.”

Cousins said it’s been hard not to be impressed when playing against Belichick’s Patriots. One of Belichick’s biggest strengths, Cousins said, is the that you never know what to expect against him.

“We played [the Patriots] last year on Thanksgiving night, and once again I noticed several times that what [Belichick] did coverage-wise was challenging, and it was different,” Cousins said. “You always know when you play him that you are kind of looking over your shoulder wondering if what you are seeing is correct because you know he is usually going to break the mold and do something different, and that’s probably what has made him a great coach.”

There is still no official word of where Belichick will go next, but he has been heavily tied to the Atlanta Falcons, a team he met with recently and has reportedly offered him a second interview. 

When it comes to records, it would be impossible to argue Belichick is not one of the best to ever do it. The 71-year-old has the most Super Bowl appearances in league history with 12, and he made nine as a head coach. He also has the most playoff wins (31) and divisional championships (17) as a head coach, along with many other achievements. 

For more on Belichick, here is CBS Sports’ NFL head coach and GM interview tracker.