The Minnesota Vikings have a quarterback conundrum on their hands heading into the 2024 NFL offseason. There are some major holes that need to be addressed on their roster, but quarterback is the biggest one.
The team has had Kirk Cousins as their starter for the last six seasons, but he is set to hit free agency. Coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, combined with his age, it would certainly be a risk to bring Cousins back, especially at the price tag he is rumored to carry.
Knowing they need to spend money elsewhere on the roster, a change under center is certainly possible. Could the Vikings turn things over to 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall, who made two starts during his rookie season?
NFL News & Rumors: Jameis Winston, Sam Darnold, Jake Browning, Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings Updates
That is certainly a possibility, but he won’t be given the job outright. At the very least, he would face some outside competition for the starting job. Who could the Vikings turn to as competition for Hall?
Gavin Dorsey of the Star Tribune provided a list of a few targets. Some are certainly intriguing, as they could be used as a veteran stopgap option. But, some are young enough that they could be considered a long-term option for the franchise should they be able to land them.
“If the Vikings don’t see any of the 2024 options as their quarterback of the future, they could look ahead to 2025 and sign a veteran free agent to help them through the season at a low cost. Players such as Sam Darnold, Jameis Winston and Jake Browning are expected to be available, and could set up the Vikings for a 2025 quarterback with a higher draft pick.”
Sam Darnold would theoretically possess the most upside as he isn’t even in his prime yet. After spending a year with the San Francisco 49ers, could he have unlocked some of the potential that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft?
NFL News & Rumors: Jameis Winston, Sam Darnold, Jake Browning, Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings Updates
Jamies Winston showed that he was a changed quarterback, when healthy, during stints with the New Orleans Saints. Had he not gotten hurt in 2021, replacing Drew Brees, his career trajectory would have looked much different.
Jake Browning is certainly an intriguing choice. The Vikings saw first-hand what he could do as he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a victory over them late in the season. He certainly looked like a starting quarterback when taking over for the injured Joe Burrow and keeping the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive.
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