Minnesota Vikings brass won't commit to Kirk Cousins beyond this season, but how will they replace him at QB if they let him leave after 2023?
Time might finally be running out for Kirk Cousins with the Minnesota Vikings.
The 35-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Vikings in 2023 and the club made it clear early in the offseason that, if they were going to extend him, he would have to earn it. That was furthered on Wednesday with a report that the team's ownership and front office are "noncommittal" on Cousins' future with the franchise.
For many Vikings fans, they've been waiting for Minnesota to replace Kirk Cousins for some time. Yes, the counting stats have long been there and so have regular-season wins. But in big moments and in the postseason, Cousins has not once proven he's the franchise quarterback to get the job done. So indeed, there is merit to moving on from him heading into 2024.
What kind of options would Minnesota have if they did that, though? Actually, quite a few good ones depending on the direction that they want to go. But what's clear is that they can't waste any time if they're going to move on given that Justin Jefferson is entering his prime and the core around him appears capable of contending.
So with that, let's dive into five Kirk Cousins replacements the Vikings should already be considering as options to put under center in 2024 and perhaps beyond.
Vikings Rumors: 5 Kirk Cousins replacements to already consider
5. Ryan Tannehill isn't an upgrade from Kirk Cousins, but he can be a stopgap
Another veteran free agent for the 2024 offseason is current Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Unlike Cousins, though, his path out of the door in Nashville seems to have already been paved with certainty with the club using a second-round pick on Will Levis in this past year's draft — and a third-rounder on Malik Willis the year prior.
Tannehill has never been a certified world-beater in his career, either with the Titans or with the Dolphins previously. However, he's enjoyed a ton of success at the helm of the Tennessee offense with his ability to take care of the football, maintain his mobility and athleticism even as he's gotten older, and playing within the constructs of a well-designed offense.
Making a free agency ploy for Tannehill would not be a long-term option for the Vikings as it pertains to replacing Cousins, of course.
The simplest reason for that is that the two quarterbacks are the same age (35 entering the 2023 season), which puts a definite cap on how long either player can be effective. Having said that, there is a chance that signing Tannehill away from Tennessee could be a cheaper option for the Vikings than re-signing or extending Cousins.
With the front office having to weigh and currently negotiate what's sure to be a monstrous extension for Justin Jefferson, getting cheaper at quarterback is crucial for the future. And if Tannehill can be a parallel move while the team drafts a developmental quarterback, perhaps that's the best option for them.
4. If Sam Darnold gets saved by Kyle Shanahan, Vikings could take a swing
No, this isn't a joke.
We know all about the shortcomings of Sam Darnold in the five NFL seasons he's played since the New York Jets selected him third overall back in 2018. He's been turnover-prone, skittish, and downright bad at times. Put simply, he's earned a bust label at this point in his career.
Still just 26 years old, though, there's a reason that the former USC Trojan was drafted that high. His talent remains undeniable and now he's about to spend a year in San Francisco with the quarterback whisperer, Kyle Shanahan.
While it does appear that Darnold will be the backup to Brock Purdy at best this season, Shanahan and those around 49ers training camp have praised Darnold already this offseason. The goods are there, he just needs the right coach and, frankly, a good situation if his career is going to be saved.
Should that happen, Darnold is only on a one-year deal with the Niners this season. Subsequently, he's another option for the Vikings that would be hitting free agency.
Look, taking Darnold based on his five years leading into 2023 would be a foolish plan for the Vikings, even if it's a cheap stopgap to allow a younger player to develop or bide time until the 2025 NFL Draft. But if the 49ers and Shanahan work some magic on him, then perhaps it's equally as good of an option for a stopgap as Tannehill or Cousins himself would be.
3. Quinn Ewers could cost the Vikings less than other draft options at QB
By my estimation, if the Vikings indeed elect to move on from the Kirk Cousins era, then the draft is going to play a big part in that. The problem inherent in that strategy, however, is the reason that Minnesota might actually want to hit the reset button at quarterback.
Again, with the talent around him in Minnesota, Cousins is going to win a lot of football games. As such, it's almost sure that they are going to be either in the playoffs or on the cusp of the postseason. That, in turn, makes their draft capital less valuable than it otherwise would be, which makes picking one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft either impossible from their own pick or exceedingly pricey to trade up in order to do.
The good news for the Vikings is that the 2024 quarterback class is more than just Caleb Williams and Drake Maye if they don't want to trade up to the No. 1 or 2 pick.
One option that is sure to intrigue NFL teams outside of the Top 5 in the draft, however, is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. The former 5-star recruit transferred out of Ohio State after not playing as a freshman and ended up in Austin. Limited to 10 games due to injury, he still threw for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions as a redshirt freshman.
That doesn't paint the entire picture with Ewers, though. He's got an absolute cannon, has put on weight to better endure hits throughout a season this offseason, and showed a real it-factor at times in his first season starting in college football.
Now entering year two with the Longhorns, if he continues to trend upward, he could be the third quarterback off of the board in the 2024 draft. More importantly, he's going to be in a much more reasonable range for the Vikings to trade up for him if they are looking to replace Cousins.
2. A Kyler Murray trade would replace Kirk Cousins immediately
The not-so-quiet secret surrounding the Arizona Cardinals is that a full-blown reset is about to take place. It's not hard to decipher given that they have arguably the worst roster in the NFL coming into the 2023 season, but it's what they could mean for former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray that could be of relevance to the Vikings.
After some savvy draft-day trading this past April, there's a good chance that Arizona could hold both the No. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 draft as they own the Texans' first-round pick too. And given the lack of roster strength, it would behoove them to take one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, trade Kyler Murray while restructuring his $230.5 million contract, and truly start anew.
That creates a fascinating possibility for the Vikings if that were to come to fruition.
Despite all of the hype around Murray as he came into the league, the diminutive passer has not found team success with the Cardinals. Part of that is on him, to be sure, but it's also on the organization in Arizona, failing to construct an offensive line to protect him, leaving massive holes on the defense, and whiffing mightily with Kliff Kingsbury.
The Vikings would seem to have less of an issue with all of those things. He'd instantly be coming into the best position he's had in his NFL career while also getting a fresh mental start. On top of that, we know how gifted Murray is as a dual-threat passer, which would bring a new element to Kevin O'Connell's offense alongside Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and so on.
On paper, it does make sense. There are concerns about Murray's viability even in a better situation and, at his price tag, that's a big risk to take on. But not taking risks is what has gotten them into the present Kirk Cousins conundrum — so maybe it's time to take that big swing.
1. Caleb Williams is the Vikings gold standard for replacing Kirk Cousins
Then we have Caleb Williams. Truth be told, he would be the ideal option for the Minnesota Vikings if they move on and need to replace Kirk Cousins. The only issue would be whether or not they have the willingness (or capability) to trade what it would take in order to be able to draft the reigning Heisman Trophy winner out of USC.
Williams has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes as a prospect. It's easy to see why that's the case with the dynamic playmaking that both players possess combined with creativity and a cerebral approach. However, that's not entirely accurate. In fact, NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees him as a smaller (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) Josh Allen.
That, of course, will still work at the NFL level. And you can see it all in Williams. He's got a cannon arm but with far more accuracy than Allen had as a prospect, but also compliments that with elite athleticism for a quarterback that allows him to rush, create more time, and simply make plays.
Williams would bring a dynamic element to the quarterback position for the Vikings that Cousins just doesn't have the physical tools to do. Moreover, he'd also be more than a decade younger and raise the ceiling in Minnesota a great deal.
The big question will be if the Vikings want to trade up for him — or for Drake Maye, the consensus QB2 in the class — when the time comes. It'll be costly and, heck, the Cardinals might not want to trade away the pick that could land them Caleb Williams, hence the possibility of Kyler Murray being available.
With that being said, if a trade for Williams is on the table, it should be a serious consideration for Minnesota. If the Vikings are going to replace Kirk Cousins, then they should go all-in on doing so. Trading up and drafting Williams is that option.