The Minnesota Vikings have invested a lot in Kirk Cousins, but are they prepared if the quarterback gets injured in 2020?
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is now the face of the Minnesota Vikings franchise for the foreseeable future. But is the organization prepared in the event that he gets hurt and has to miss time?
The former Michigan State standout signed a $66 million extension recently, keeping him in Minnesota until 2023. This was a huge leap of faith by the Vikings and it will go a long way to determining the long-term fortunes of general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer.
Cousins has been a reliable presence during his NFL career, missing just one regular-season game over the last five seasons. And the contest he missed was the final one on the 2019 schedule, which was to give him rest ahead of the playoffs with nothing on the line.
Given the quarterback’s lack of mobility and the questionable interior blocking currently available to the Vikings, this is a remarkable achievement. But if Cousins were to go down for an extended period of time next season, does Minnesota have a good back-up plan?
They’ve re-signed backup quarterback Sean Mannion to a one-year deal worth $910,000, but he has just two starts to his name after being drafted in the third round by the Los Angeles Rams in 2015. This lack of experience is concerning in the event Cousins does go down through injury.
With all this in mind, do the Vikings need a better option at backup quarterback for next season?