6 quarterbacks who could be the Vikings starter in 2021
By Adam Patrick
Cam Newton (Free Agent)
It’s crazy how long it took for Cam Newton to sign with a team for this season. Newton eventually landed with the New England Patriots and they basically stole him by getting him to agree to a one-year contract that has a max value of $7.5 million.
Since he only signed a one-year deal with the Patriots, Newton will hit free agency again in 2021. If the Vikings are somehow able to figure out a way to get rid of Kirk Cousins and they are more interested in having a veteran be their new starter instead of a rookie, then Newton could be their guy.
Minnesota likely wouldn’t be able to sign Newton to a super-cheap deal like New England did. But he still probably isn’t going to cost more than $30 million per season like Cousins.
Even if the Vikings sign Newton, they could still select their future quarterback in the 2021 draft if they wanted to. Adding the current Patriots signal-caller might put a little less pressure on Minnesota to use their top draft pick on a quarterback next year and it could allow them to possibly wait until the second or third round to grab a young passer.
Honestly though, if Newton is someone the Vikings are truly interested in making their starter for 2021, it’s probably going to require a lot more salary-cap maneuvering than just figuring out a way to unload Cousins’ contract.
Chance he’s Minnesota’s Starting QB in 2021: 5 percent