It’s been a frustrating two-season stretch in Minnesota. In 2022, quarterback Kirk Cousins had a career year, ranking fourth in the NFL in passing yards (4,547) and throwing 29 touchdowns to lead the Vikings to an NFC North title.
However, Minnesota’s defense was dreadful, ranking 31st in yards allowed and 30th in scoring (25.1 points per game) and that was the downfall for Minnesota in a first-round playoff loss to the New York Giants.
Last season, Minnesota’s defense jumped to 14th in scoring (21.3 points per game), 16th in yards allowed and 8th against the run under first-year defensive coordinator Brian Flores. However, before Minnesota’s defense turned around, Kirk Cousins, who was throwing for 291.4 yards per game, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
While the defense shaped up, Minnesota couldn’t overcome up-and-down play from its backup quarterbacks. Journeyman Joshua Dobbs went 2-2 in four starts and the duo of Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall combined for 1-4 as Minnesota lost six of its last seven games to miss out on the playoffs. The only game the Vikings won in that stretch was a defensive-led 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Going into 2024, Kirk Cousins plans to be ready by OTAs, but it's uncertain where he’ll play. Cousins is set to become a free agent next month after he and the Vikings couldn’t reach terms on a contract extension prior to last season.
Will Cousins be back in Minnesota? Will the Vikings get an extension done on star receiver Justin Jefferson?
Those are the two biggest offseason question marks for the Vikings, who are distant longshots to win the Super Bowl next season.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Minnesota is right in the middle of the league in Super Bowl odds, coming in at +4000 ($100 bet wins $4,000). That gives the Vikings an implied probability of 2.44% to win the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
The NFC isn’t as loaded as the AFC, and Minnesota is the seventh-favorite out of the NFC to win the Super Bowl behind the San Francisco 49ers (+500), Detroit Lions (+1200), Dallas Cowboys (+1500), Philadelphia Eagles (+1700), Green Bay Packers (+2300) and Los Angeles Rams (+3000).
Looking at the six teams ahead of Minnesota, it’s worth noting that the Vikings are favored to finish in third in the NFC North behind Green Bay and Detroit.
Although they are the seventh-favorite in the NFC, it doesn’t mean the Vikings are favored to be one of the seven teams to make the playoffs next season. All four NFC South squads have worse Super Bowl odds than the Vikings (led by Atlanta at +5000). But one of those four longshots will have a ticket to the dance via a division title, meaning Minnesota will be a short underdog to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons under Kevin O’Connell.
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Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl 59 odds
Despite coming back from an Achilles tear and the uncertainty of which jersey he’ll wear, Cousins is still the 15th favorite in MVP odds at +4000.
At the time of his injury, Cousins was playing some of the best football of his career. He was tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes (18) and led the NFC in passing yards (2,331).
The MVP odds board begins with 23 consecutive quarterbacks. A non-quarterback hasn’t won the AP MVP award since Adrian Peterson ran for over 2,000 yards in 2012. The first non-quarterback on the list is Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson (+10000), who is eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
Jefferson is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and has been elite in his four seasons in the league. Last year, despite missing seven games and Minnesota’s unstable quarterback play after Cousins went down, Jefferson still eclipsed 1,000 yards for the fourth-straight year.
Odds update periodically and are subject to change.