Inside The Vikings

Late-Game Injury Keeps Former Vikings QB Case Cookus From Winning USFL Title

Cookus was nearly the hero, but a fourth-quarter injury doomed the Stars' chances.
Will Ragatz|
Late-Game Injury Keeps Former Vikings QB Case Cookus From Winning USFL Title
Late-Game Injury Keeps Former Vikings QB Case Cookus From Winning USFL Title

Case Cookus deserved a storybook ending. Instead, he was carted off the field with a devastating injury.

It was the fourth quarter of Sunday's inaugural USFL championship game, and Cookus had his Philadelphia Stars in position to pull off an upset over the Birmingham Stallions. The Stars had rallied from a 20-9 halftime deficit to take a 23-20 lead in the fourth on his third touchdown pass of the game. 

Unfortunately, Cookus was brought down awkwardly on a sack, suffered a significant leg injury, and had to be carted off the field. The Stallions followed that up with a touchdown to take the lead, and made it 33-23 when Philadelphia backup quarterback K.J. Costello threw a pick-six. The Stars scored a touchdown to cut it to 33-30, but another Costello pick sealed the deal for the Stallions, who won the league's first-ever title.

If Cookus hadn't gotten hurt, the Stars probably win the game. The former Northern Arizona QB — who was briefly with the Vikings during training camp last year — was brilliant for three-plus quarters. He led four scoring drives, going 17 of 29 for 222 yards, three touchdowns, and no turnovers.

It was a sensational performance in the biggest moment of the season for Cookus, who began the season as the Stars' backup but capitalized on his opportunity when the starting QB got hurt. He quickly became a star in the USFL, going 5-2 as a starter in the final seven games of the season to lead the Stars to the playoffs despite a 1-2 start. The Stars then beat the 9-1 New Jersey Generals in the first round to reach the championship game, where they had the 9-1 Stallions on the ropes.

Cookus showed that he deserves to get another chance in the NFL once he recovers from this injury, or at least that he should be one of the USFL's best players going forward, assuming the league survives. He was accurate, poised, and used his mobility — he ran for a 79-yard touchdown earlier in the season — to extend plays. Cookus's first touchdown pass came on a beautiful outside shoulder fade, his second came on a crazy play that he extended, and his third was a strike over the middle to give the Stars the lead.

He may have only been a Viking for a few days last August, but Cookus became somewhat of a cult hero on Vikings Twitter and undoubtedly had plenty of TVs in Minnesota tuned in to his performance on Sunday.

Hopefully he makes a full and quick recovery and gets back to throwing touchdown passes, whether in the USFL or elsewhere.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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