The Minnesota Vikings said goodbye to Kirk Cousins on Monday after the veteran quarterback ended his six-year as the club’s starter by signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
What comes next? Signal-callers Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall remain on the Vikings’ roster, but it’s hard to imagine either receiving a realistic shot as Minnesota’s 2024 QB.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may try to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft, moving from No. 11 into the top five to land a franchise quarterback. Even in that scenario, the Vikings may want to add a free agent QB to play in front of a rookie. Who could Minnesota target?
Vikings’ Post-Kirk Cousins QB Options
Sam Darnold
It’s fun to speculate, but the Vikings’ interest in Sam Darnold doesn’t appear theoretical. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said watch for Minnesota to “go after” the former No. 3 overall pick but noted that Darnold has other suitors.
Darnold sat behind Brock Purdy for most of his debut season with the San Francisco 49ers before posting a 54.0 QBR against the Los Angeles Rams’ backup defense in a meaningless Week 18 game.
Still only 26 years old, Darnold has the draft pedigree that will interest teams around the league. He’d represent a worthwhile risk for the Vikings, especially if Minnesota can get an extra year of contractual control in case Darnold finally breaks out.
But, like all the options we’ll discuss here, Darnold would not stand in the way of the Vikings drafting a first-round quarterback in April.
Jacoby Brissett
Jacoby Brissett played even less than Darnold while playing behind Sam Howell for the Washinton Commanders. But he ranked eighth in QBR as recently as 2022, when he started 11 games for the Cleveland Browns while Deshaun Watson was suspended.
Brissett, widely respected around the league, is the ultimate culture addition. The Vikings, who consistently finish atop the NFLPA’s anonymous report cards, are the ultimate culture squad. There may be no better mentor for a rookie in the NFL QB than Brissett.
Joe Flacco
While Joe Flacco may not get the chance to compete for a starting job after coming off the couch to guide the Cleveland Browns to a 4-1 regular-season record, he shouldn’t have any trouble finding backup work. The Browns want him back, while the New England Patriots are also an option, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson on hand, the Vikings offer better weapons than Cleveland or New England. But it might come down to potential playing time for Flacco.
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill struggled through eight starts with the Tennessee Titans last year before injuries and ineffectiveness eventually forced him to cede to rookie second-round QB Will Levis.
KEEP READING: NFL World Reacts to Cousins Blockbuster Deal With Falcons
While most speculation pegged Tannehill to follow former Titans OC Arthur Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Black and Gold signed Russell Wilson to compete with Kenny Pickett.
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