The Minnesota Vikings received the devastating news that Kirk Cousins is out for the remainder of the season after tearing his Achilles in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday afternoon. It is a massive blow to a surging team that just won three straight games and showed some resilience and grit in each of those games that could have pushed them toward a playoff spot but now it's hard to know what the future holds for this organization.

Cousins played a big part not only on the offense but for this team mentally and emotionally as he was the heart and soul of this Minnesota Vikings team. You can't just replace that with anyone but the Vikings are going to have to and quickly if they want to remain in the playoff hunt as we come into the second half of the 2023 NFL season.

The Vikings handed the ball to 5th-round rookie quarterback out of BYU Jaren Hall who completed three of his four passes for 23 yards to close out the game. It remains to be seen if the Vikings will go with the rookie quarterback or the veteran backup Nick Mullens, who is currently on IR, as their quarterback for the foreseeable future. We take a look at why the Vikings should start Hall or possibly Mullens after he returns from IR for the rest of the 2023 season.

Why The Vikings Should Start Jaren Hall

Jaren Hall is a 5th-round rookie quarterback who spent his entire college career playing for the BYU Cougars. As the starter for the last two seasons, he amassed 5,754 yards, and 51 passing touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Let's not also forget about his rushing numbers which tallied for 657 yards and six touchdowns.

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Hall brings a dynamic that is unteachable and that is his athleticism and arm strength. He ran an unofficial 4.62 40-time and during his limited time in the preseason, you could see the spark he brought when he stepped out onto the field. Hall's best work comes when he's able to extend plays out of the pocket or while throwing off the play action. There certainly will be some growing pains for the young quarterback but if the Vikings can scheme around his raw abilities Hall can surprise a lot of people, especially once Justin Jefferson gets back on the field.

Why The Vikings Should Start Nick Mullens

Nick Mullens has been in the league for the last five years and has amassed 5,085 yards and 27 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. He also started 17 games in his career and has been a serviceable backup throughout his career. He has really good fundamentals, an understanding of the playbooks, and can make most throws.

Mullens has the capability to be a good game manager just like Brock Purdy was able to accomplish when he took over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo for the San Francisco 49ers. He does however lack the game-changing abilities that his teammate Jaren Hall possesses which means that he needs to be perfect to make a difference for this offense.

The Minnesota Vikings will need to do their due diligence and weigh all of their options before moving forward with a new quarterback. As of right now, the Vikings have only one option for their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons on the road and that is Jaren Hall but they can quickly make the change to Mullens if things start out a bit rough for Hall once Mullens returns for the IR. Also, the Vikings need to exhaust all trade and free agent efforts if they wholeheartedly believe that Hall or Mullens can't get the job done for the remainder of the season.

It's an unfortunate situation for Kevin O'Connell to be hit with this after battling back from a 1-4 start to the season but knowing O'Connell and Vikings' General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah they will put their best team forward for the remainder of the 2023 season.