The Minnesota Vikings are something of an enigma as the 2024 offseason moves forward. After winning the NFC North in 2022, the Vikings believed they had corrected many of their defensive woes by hiring Brian Flores as defensive coordinator.
Since the offense had been the team's strength, there was plenty of hope that the Vikings could defend their division title in 2023, or at least make the playoffs again. It didn't happen that way, as quarterback Kirk Cousins went down with a torn Achilles shortly before midseason.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell's team showed plenty of fight despite that huge loss, rallying from a 1-3 start to go 6-4 at the 10-game mark. The Vikings seemed like a team that was unwilling to accept defeat despite the loss of their quarterback and other key players as well. Superstar wideout Justin Jefferson missed 7 games with a hamstring injury, but the team managed to keep its head above water.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, the magic disappeared shortly thereafter as the team would win just one more game the rest of the way. O'Connell made some strange decisions, failing to keep his foot on the gas pedal when a first down or two would have provided three possible wins against the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals.
If those three close losses had become wins, a 7-10 record would have become 10-7 and the Vikings would have been a playoff team.
Going forward, O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have to come up with an action plan as they begin their third year at the helm of the franchise. To this point, Adod0-Mensah has used the term “competitive rebuild” to describe how the Vikings were managing.
That explanation does not sound adequate at this point. They are either going to compete for a spot with the elite teams in the NFC or they are going to rebuild.
They need to decide what they are going to do with Cousins, they need to get Jefferson's name on a long-term contract and they need to strengthen the defense.
The Cousins dilemma
The injured quarterback should be healthy well before the start of training camp, and he has demonstrated his accuracy and a solid partnership with Jefferson, explosive wideout Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Cousins will be 36 at the start of the season, and he should have at least 2 or 3 productive years left before age becomes a telling factor. But Cousins has not been the kind of quarterback who has been able to deliver key victories during his biggest games. He has 12 years of NFL experience — 6 with Washington and 6 with Minnesota — and his ability to play his best games at the biggest moments have always been questioned.
Why should that aspect of his performance change at this point in his career? He may be likable, honest and talented, but why would he all of a sudden start to win the biggest games?
Especially at the price. If the Vikings are going to keep Cousins, it stands to reason that it will be at a price of at least $40 million per season.
Letting Cousins walk would mean a full rebuild is at hand, and drafting a quarterback would be required. With names like Drake Maye, Michael Penix and Bo Nix available, the Vikings should have several options available with the No. 11 spot in the draft.
Jefferson is the team's key building block
An injury cut down on Jefferson's productivity in 2023, but he was dynamic when he was in the lineup for 10 games. Even though Cousins was only in the lineup for a few of those games, Jefferson caught 68 passes for 1,074 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 107.4 yards per game allowed him to rank with the NFL's most productive receivers.
He had served notice to the league in 2022 when he led the NFL with 128 receptions for 1,809 yards and 8 touchdowns. There's no reason a healthy Jefferson can't exceed the 2,000-yard mark in future seasons.
Whether the Vikings bring back Cousins or not, they must get Jefferson's name on a long-term contract. He is a brilliant player who serves as one of the key faces for both the franchise and the NFL.
If for some reason the relationship between Jefferson and the Vikings goes astray, it will be a major loss for the team.
Conclusion
It would be a huge gamble for the Vikings to move forward without Cousins. They should draft a quarterback, but with an eye towards the future. Look at the success the Packers had with Jordan Love. He basically sat for three seasons before he got his opportunity to play.
The Vikings could do the same with a quarterback like Penix or Maye.
Going full rebuild at this point is not the way Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell can go. They simply don't have the runway to see the team slip to a non-competitive level with the hope that it will pay dividends at some point in the future. They don't have more than a year or two to give ownership and the fans a championship-worthy team.
Follow Us
Subscribe