5 dream scenarios for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023
By Ben Donahue
Vikings Dream Scenario No. 4
Kirk Cousins gets Minnesota past the Divisional Round and remains a Viking
Every NFL franchise has a quarterback, but not every team has a true franchise quarterback. As long as there’s been an NFL, fortune-changing quarterbacks have been as difficult to find as a palatable fruit cake. For example, look no further than Minnesota’s quarterback history since 2009.
That season, Brett Favre took the Vikings to the NFC Championship before losing. What followed was failed quarterback experiments involving Christian Ponder and Teddy Bridgewater. The franchise also had one-hit wonders such as Sam Bradford (2016) and Case Keenum (2017).
Instability at the quarterback position was the reason Minnesota signed Kirk Cousins in 2018. Of course, the knock on Cousins is that he hasn’t helped the Vikes progress past the Divisional Round since he arrived. Therefore, after the 2023 season, Minnesota may show him the door and bring in someone else.
The question then becomes, replace Cousins with whom? The last time the Vikings had a franchise-altering quarterback was in 2009 with Favre (his 2010 season was a lost cause). Since then, the franchise has had a revolving door of signal callers, and none of them have panned out.
If one looks at the current landscape of NFL quarterbacks, the true franchise changers in the league consist of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Aaron Rodgers. Arguments could also be made for Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Russell Wilson. Even with this list, Rodgers last played in a Super Bowl in 2010, and Wilson (who last played in the title game in 2014) may be on his last legs. Allen and Herbert have yet to play in the league’s biggest contest of the year.
Basically, there’s no such thing as a sure thing. However, in his five years with Minnesota, Cousins has missed just one game. He’s passed for over 4,000 yards in four of the five seasons. Cousins has also been selected to three Pro Bowls.
Sure, he hasn’t helped Minnesota advance past the Divisional Round, but how much of that is his fault? In the Vikings’ Wild Card round loss to New York last season, Cousins passed for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and ran for another score. Meanwhile, Minny’s 28th-ranked defense allowed the Giants to make big plays, resulting in a 31-24 loss.
If Cousins can get the organization to a conference title game or (fingers crossed) Super Bowl LVIII, look for the Vikes to sign him for at least three more years (or until Jaren Hall is ready).