Breaking: Vikings are exploring 5 elite candidates for quarterback position

If the Vikings decide to move on from Cousins, they should have a contingency plan in place.

As soon as Super Bowl LVIII concludes Sunday night in Las Vegas, the NFL will shift its collective focus to the future. There’s a mutual understanding across the league that conversations don’t pick up until after the playoffs, so everybody has been in a holding pattern over the past month or so.

That includes the Vikings as they prepare to embark on their biggest offseason in recent memory. There are so many things for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to tackle over the next couple of months as he attempts to thread the needle on his competitive rebuild.

The most pressing question: What’s his plan with franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins?

Some reports out there suggest Cousins could command as much as $45 million annually despite the fact that he’s still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. That might be too expensive for the Vikings considering they are likely to extend superstar receiver Justin Jefferson at some point and still have to fill out the rest of their roster.

If the Vikings decide to move on from Cousins, they should have a contingency plan in place. Here are some quarterback options:

This would be the path of least resistance for the Vikings in a lot of ways. There’s a connection between Cousins and head coach Kevin O’Connell that shouldn’t be taken for granted. That familiarity with the playbook theoretically would allow the Vikings to hit the ground running next season with a ton of playmakers already in place. The offense was humming this season with Cousins on the field. He looked more comfortable than he ever has in his career, throwing for 2,331 yards and 18 touchdowns in eight games before his injury ended that. If the Vikings want to compete in the present, this might be the best option. That said, Cousins will be the most coveted free agent on the market, so even if the Vikings decide they want him back, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will get him back.

The fact that this is even a discussion speaks to how much polarizing quarterback Baker Mayfield has rebuilt his value. He entered this season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having to compete for the starting job. Not only did Mayfield win the competition, he went on to throw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns while starting every game. Though he has a tendency to take unnecessary risks downfield, he plays the position in a way that jives with what O’Connell wants to do in the passing game. If the Vikings are able to come to an agreement with Mayfield, it would be cheaper than Cousins, and would still allow them to compete at a high level.

It seems like only a matter of time before the divorce between veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos becomes official. The relationship hit the point of no return when Wilson was benched late in the 2023 season. As disappointing as his tenure with the Broncos was, Wilson put up respectable numbers this season, throwing for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’s certainly not worth the 5-year, $245 million deal he signed on Sept. 1, 2022. Not by a long shot. He could be worth taking a flier on, however, as a reclamation project who could be had at a good discount.

If the Vikings are looking for a bridge between the present and the future, journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew could fit the mold. He helped the Indianapolis Colts overachieve this season and narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Though it wouldn’t be the sexiest signing by any means, and would likely mean the Vikings struck out elsewhere, Minshew has shown he is capable of leading an offense. If the Vikings end up with him under center, it would be a good idea for them to target a rookie quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A good backup option for the Vikings would be journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett. He is among the elite backups in the NFL and could shine as a starter in the right situation. It’s not difficult to imagine Brissett chucking the ball downfield to Jefferson, young receiver Jordan Addison and star tight end T.J. Hockenson. The benefit of signing Brissett would be how cost-effective he is compared to other players on the free-agent market. That would allow the Vikings to fortify other areas of their roster.