A recent ranking excluded Jared Goff from the league's top 10 quarterbacks list. The evaluation compares Goff to veteran Kirk Cousins, and although Goff's 2025 production was elite, Chris Simms couldn't look past his shortcomings.

“That's the question: is he kind of become the Kirk Cousins where you love the floor, but you always wonder about the ceiling, without having it’s almost like an emergency hatch,” Connor Rodgers asked.

This conversation took place between Rodgers and Simms in an episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned. Simms, a former quarterback, revealed four more QBs in his countdown and revealed why he placed him at No.13.

“The problem with Jared Goff to me…is just when there's nothing there, there's really no other option. It's a little bit offense-dependent. He's not a guy that's going to be able to scramble and buy time. He's one of the least athletic running quarterbacks in the sport,” Simms said on the episode, which streamed on May 28. 

To better understand Simms’ point, let’s rewind to the Detroit Lions’ Week 10 home game loss. The 27-24 loss highlighted major shortcomings in Goff’s plays. The 31-year-old was pressured on 47.6% of his dropbacks. According to Sidelion Report, that was the third-highest pressure rate he faced since joining the Lions in 2021. 

Goff was pressured 18 times and had a season-low average of 2.36 seconds to throw. The Vikings sacked Goff five times. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 284 yards and just two touchdowns. 

Secondly, Goff's traditional pocket-passer style limits his ability to extend plays compared to modern dual-threat quarterbacks.

“It’s not like any quarterback is necessarily good when pressured, but there’s a growing wave of NFL starters who have the athleticism to escape and keep plays alive with their legs when the pocket collapses,” the November 5 analysis read.

Despite his shortcomings, Goff enjoyed a stellar run in the 2025 season. With 4,564 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns, he was ranked second overall. This contrast in his play style mirrors the concerns surrounding Cousins, whose pressure-to-sack ratio is 12.6% per PFF.

However, the latest reports suggest that Cousins is leading the way for the Raiders.

What Is The Raiders’ Impression Of Kirk Cousins In The OTAs? 

The Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach, Klint Kubiak, recently made comments as their OTAs are underway.

Cousins is “a leader that we’re counting on right now,” he said.

The veteran QB was brought in as the team’s starting QB in early April. He is also to mentor this year’s No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza. Cousins will be playing in his 15th NFL season this year, without having made a Super Bowl appearance. 

He, however, holds the NFL record for the most game-winning drives and fourth-quarter comebacks in a single season (8, which is tied with Matthew Stafford in 2022). 

The 2026 season is heating up, and so are the expectations for quarterbacks. What will Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins look like on the field? Tell us in the comments. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar