Who will start under center for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021?
When the Minnesota Vikings decided to give Kirk Cousins a contract extension last March, no one from the team expected him to begin the 2020 season as poorly as he has.
Cousins has just been awful this year and there is really no other way to describe it. Sunday’s performance against a terrible Atlanta Falcons pass defense was just the cherry on top of an incredibly disappointing 2020 campaign for the Vikings quarterback.
After putting up pretty impressive numbers during his first two seasons with Minnesota, Cousins currently leads the NFL in interceptions with 10 and he has a 56.7 passer rating in the first half of games this year. It’s unclear why the Vikings quarterback has been struggling as much as he has this season, but it’s making many question his future with the franchise.
At 1-5, Minnesota is currently in a position to have a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Vikings could choose to use this selection on one of the top quarterback prospects and send a message to Cousins that his time with the franchise is nearing the end.
If Cousins’ performance continues to trend in the wrong direction this year, then Minnesota could look to figure out some way to move on from him immediately after the end of the current season.
The Vikings probably aren’t going to acquire a ready-made franchise-altering quarterback next year like an Aaron Rodgers or a Deshaun Watson. But there are several signal-callers who could potentially begin the 2021 season as Minnesota’s starter.
Let’s take a look at some of the quarterbacks who could be the Vikings starter when they step on the field for their Week 1 matchup next year.