Kirk Cousins has often gained a reputation for being a bit of a gunslinger, and during the 2023 preseason, he may have taken that fact bit literally.
Putting old-time lawmen like Wyatt Earp to shame, the Vikings quarterback sported his best homage to the Wild West prior to the start of the season when he grew out an epic horseshoe mustache.
While Cousins has predominantly been seen throughout his career with a face fit for a Gillette shaving cream commercial, the new look was quickly embraced by many — and then just as quickly gone.
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While a stiff upper lip is important when it comes to being an NFL quarterback, maybe a warm one is equally important. Here's a look at the short-lived Kirk Cousins mustache era:
Kirk Cousins mustache
For your viewing pleasure, here's a closer look at Cousins' Joe Namath-esque lip warmer. See it. Feel it. Believe it. You like that.
Why did Kirk Cousins shave his mustache?
As it turns out, maybe the caterpillar wasn't something that Cousins was hoping to keep for a long time.
Speaking on the 'stache in August, Cousins said that a one-day competition during Vikings camp turned into a weeklong commitment to the bit. Complicating matters is the fact that Cousins' wife Julie apparently was not a fan of the fur, either.
Cousins' comments on his follicular follies:
Monday was Mustache Monday, with a cash prize that went to the best 'stache on the team, which Austin Slomin won. They said come with whatever mustache you can, and I thought this was my best chance at a legit, good looking, memorable mustache. But then, we kind of got to the end of Monday and we felt like it was too quick to shave it off. So then, Mustache Monday's quickly becoming Mustache Week. So I'm thinking I will probably be at the game like this, which I'm thinking, but then it'll come off. …
Julie doesn't like it. I told her, yeah, I just kind of look like I was on the Oregon Trail. But she's good, she understands. She understands Mustache Week needs to happen.
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Cousins said that there's a possibility that Mustache Monday will make a return during Vikings camp in 2024, which is a curious thing to say: Cousins is a free agent following the 2023 season, so maybe that signals a potential return to Minnesota following the year.
In any case, the Vikings fell to the Buccaneers in Week 1 in a hairy loss. Minnesota is hoping they can 'stache some wins and make a playoff run over the coming weeks.