The future of the quarterback position for the Minnesota Vikings is currently up in the air. There is nothing set in stone beyond the 2023 season, as Kirk Cousins is locked in as the starter but on an expiring contract.
There are reportedly already teams gearing up to make a run at Cousins next season should the Vikings not work out a deal to bring him back beyond the 2023 season. Unless 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall shows something that convinces the franchise he is the answer for life after Cousins, it is fair to assume that the Vikings’ 2024 starting quarterback isn’t currently on the roster.
With the Vikings being noncommittal on Cousins’ future with the team, who could be under center in Minnesota in 2024? A list of five potential replacements was put together, with the first player mentioned being Ryan Tannehill.
A team could certainly do worse than Tannehill as a stopgap option. He likely isn’t an upgrade over Cousins, but it was only one season ago that he was the starting quarterback for the No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans. He would have led the team to another playoff appearance last season had he not gotten injured as well.
Next up is Sam Darnold. The No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has not had the career many pegged him for when he left USC. His tenure with the New York Jets was disastrous and things didn’t go much better with the Carolina Panthers.
However, in 2022, he did help keep the Panthers’ season alive after a rough first season in Charlotte. That late-season performance, coupled with now benefitting from the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan, could be enough for a team to give Darnold another chance in 2024.
Depending on how things go during the 2023 season, the 2024 NFL Draft could be an option for the Vikings. One of the quarterbacks in the draft class could certainly be in play, with Quinn Ewers being mentioned as a possible target.
If the Vikings want to take a big swing and replace Cousins with an established, long-term option, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals would make sense. Recovering from a torn ACL, Murray may not be part of the organization’s plans anymore with a new regime in place.
If the Cardinals land the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon will be enticed to reset the quarterback clock and bring in their guy. It would be hard to argue against that move, especially if it means landing Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
Speaking of Williams, the last option for the Vikings that was suggested is making a move to select the USC product themselves. Williams is expected by many to be a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which complicates things for the Vikings.
Given their roster, it is hard to imagine them being bad enough to land a top-two pick, which would likely be required to have a shot at Williams. It would almost certainly take a trade up to put the Vikings in position for a top quarterback prospect, which would require parting ways with a ton of draft capital for years to come.
