4 Vikings players who could be benched after the bye week

Kirk Cousins – QB

Kirk Cousins is a man under pressure. The quarterback has endured a rough start to the 2020 season and if things don’t pick up following the bye week, the Minnesota Vikings are going to have a real problem on their hands.

Benching Cousins will be the last resort. The Vikings don’t have that much in the way of a viable alternative if they chose to go in this particular direction. But there might come a time when the best thing for all concerned would be to take the signal-caller out of the firing line for the greater good.

Cousins is a scapegoat for Minnesota’s failings. That comes with the territory for players at the position and this bears more significance when one considers the extension given to him by the organization this offseason.

Throwing ten interceptions – four more than what Cousins accumulated all of last season – is far from ideal. The Vikings needed salary cap relief which played a leading role in giving the former fourth-round pick another fully-guaranteed deal and if his struggles go on in the coming weeks then Minnesota is going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

This is a precarious situation for the Vikings, to put it mildly. The last thing Mike Zimmer needs is shaky play under center given the significant problems elsewhere and it could have significant ramifications on their long-term aspirations.