The Minnesota Vikings could be in the market for a new quarterback in 2022 and the San Francisco 49ers are a team to keep an eye on for a few reasons.
Despite trading multiple first-round picks to move up for Trey Lance, the San Francisco 49ers made a deep run into the playoffs with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm. Now, the Minnesota Vikings should be very interested in the 49ers from a number of standpoints.
Lance was always expected to redshirt his first season in the NFL, but his arrival still motivated Jimmy to play at a high level when it mattered. That pushed San Francisco into the NFC Championship Game for the second time with Garoppolo under center, and they nearly reached the Super Bowl for the second time as well.
The team’s success with Jimmy has opened a bunch of doors for the upcoming offseason, all of which can play into the future of the Vikings. With the success of Garoppolo carrying over into the next season, there is a chance they decide to keep him as the starting quarterback in 2022.
Trading up for Lance was the right move for the 49ers last season, just as it was when the Chiefs moved up to land Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Both teams were still in contention for the playoffs, but Kansas City took the next step when Mahomes took the keys in year two.
Lance is a guy that has the tools and traits to carry San Francisco over the top, but the roster’s support of Jimmy cannot be overlooked. He has the favor in the locker room, and the rest of his team loves what he does, which includes some epic highs and lows.
The Vikings need to keep a close eye on the 49ers this offseason for a number of reasons.
Vikings follow suit and draft a redshirt QB behind Cousins
Just as San Francisco did last year, the Vikings could very well draft a quarterback to redshirt behind Kirk Cousins for a year before letting him walk in free agency. Kellen Mond is not the guy that fits the mold of high-end traits with a high ceiling but rather a guy that can mold into a low-level starter but likely serves as a career backup.
Drafting Mond in the third round last year should not deter the Vikings from considering quarterbacks in the early stages of 2022. Malik Willis, the guy with the highest ceiling in the draft, is the perfect redshirt candidate.
He may not be ready to compete in 2022, which is fine since the Vikings are not a real threat as things stand anyway. Letting him develop for a year and see how a guy like Cousins operates could pay off in the end for Willis.
Whether in the first or second round, Willis has the potential to pay off in a similar way to Mahomes and Josh Allen. Both were drafted a bit higher than expected with a gamble on their traits. Mahomes sat for a year while Allen struggled mightily as a rookie, but both have blossomed into the league’s top passers.
If the Vikings want to keep some hopes alive for 2022 while also shooting for the stars in 2023 and beyond, this is the way to go. This is just like the 49ers have done with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Lance returns home
Perhaps more of a longshot, the Vikings should at least kick the tires on Trey Lance and his availability in the trade market. The 49ers have proven to be a contender with Jimmy Garoppolo and moving on from him could be detrimental to the team’s success.
What if, instead, the 49ers trade Trey Lance to recoup some of the draft picks they gave up to go get him in the first place and build a roster that can continue hiding some of Garoppolo’s flaws? Lance is a Minnesota kid with the size, athleticism, and arm to be a star in the NFL if he puts it all together.
The Vikings could get a third team involved to take on Kirk Cousins while they go after a young quarterback that can really turn things around. Lance’s ability to be a dual-threat quarterback and a game-changing player is worth the risk of moving picks for him.
Minnesota would be able to retain some of the picks by moving Kirk Cousins to a contender, especially in the NFC, where things are wide open. Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Philadelphia would be intriguing options.
Jimmy would stay in San Francisco to continue pushing for a Super Bowl, which he has come oh so close to snagging over the past few years. Lance gets a fresh start in Minnesota, his hometown team, with a chance to turn them into perennial contenders for over a decade.
If the 49ers get risky, this is something the Vikings have to consider. Trey Lance would be an incredible building block next to Justin Jefferson.
Cousins could get the 49ers over the hump
When the Vikings signed Kirk Cousins in 2018, the goal was to get them over the hump and into the Super Bowl following a miraculous run from Case Keenum. That never happened and it appears it never will in Minnesota.
San Francisco has been so close to reaching the promised land and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with Jimmy Garoppolo, but they just come up a tad bit short. Kirk Cousins is better than Jimmy G on paper and would seem to be an upgrade at quarterback.
In this scenario, the 49ers go and get the guy that can get them over the top and reunite Kyle Shanahan with the guy that so many people thought he wanted all along – Kirk Cousins. Cousins in San Francisco would keep them in the mix in the NFC while the Vikings build for the future and open cap space. If they need to do a swap that lands Garoppolo in Minnesota for a year, I don’t think that changes much for the Vikings.
Trey Lance would be the odd man out and a trade could still come if a team offers enough to pry him away. However, he could sit for one more year and take over the 49ers in 2023 while Kirk Cousins hits free agency.
Cousins has been linked to San Francisco for a few years now. If they think he is the missing piece, much like the Vikings did, then it would make sense for the 49ers to trade for him to get back on top.
San Francisco has a lot of options on the table heading into the new league year. The Vikings need to keep close tabs on the Bay as they search for a new direction at quarterback.