The Minnesota Vikings would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn’t have a contingency plan just in case Kirk Cousins leaves in free agency.
There is mutual interest in his return. But the four-time Pro Bowler is also expected to command a hefty sum while the Vikings face a salary-cap crunch barring any moves to create more space.
Their current backup plan leaves a lot to be desired too.
“The Vikings spent a fifth-round pick on Jaren Hall last season as a potential successor to Kirk Cousins, but that ship might have already sailed,” Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler wrote on January 18. “They’ll need an upgrade if Cousins does walk in free agency.”
Fowler lists the Vikings as a potential “top scheme fit” for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield
INJECT THIS ENERGY INTO MY VEINS pic.twitter.com/3U5itflKVf
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 16, 2024
Mayfield, 28, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. He has found a rhythm in Tampa, leading his team against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
He is on a one-year, $4 million contract. But there is mutual interest in an extension.
“Sources say there is mutual interest for Mayfield and the Bucs to run it back in 2024,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on December 24. “There are potential issues to work through, however, with Mayfield set to enter free agency having renewed leverage.”
Mayfield set career highs, completing 64.3% of his passes for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns this past season. Rapoport called Tampa a potential “stable home” for Mayfield.
But Fowler believes the Vikings could be a threat to poach him.
“Who wouldn’t want to throw to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison? T.J. Hockenson, too,” Fowler wrote. “Mayfield would likely love to make his way north to lead the Vikings for a roster that is entering put-up-or-shut-up time under head coach Kevin O’Connell.”
Losing Justin Jefferson Could Make Vikings a Poor Fit for QBs
Jefferson still has one more year on his rookie contract. But talks for an extension began last offseason when he first became eligible.
The three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro has spoken confidently about getting a new contract. But Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters argued in favor of the Vikings trading Jefferson.
Part of his argument was the uncertainty at quarterback leaving the Vikings facing a step back.
“There could be a better chance of Jefferson, 24, getting traded than anybody’s saying,” Walters wrote on January 13. “That’s because it doesn’t make sense to pay the NFL’s best receiver the money he wants (expected to be at least $150 million over five years) on a team that’s not expected to be seriously competitive for several more years.”
The Vikings’ ceiling with Cousins has also come into question. Would Mayfield raise it?
Outbidding the Buccaneers for his services could be difficult. Tampa will have roughly $19 million more in cap space this offseason before either makes any moves, per Spotrac.
Keeping up the standard of play at quarterback could be critical to keeping Jefferson happy. Similarly, any veteran quarterback would likely have the dynamic wideout at or near the top of their list of reasons for wanting to play for the Vikings.
Vikings Backup QBs Struggled in 2023
Cousins went down having won four of his final five starts, and he led the NFL in passing yards per game during the regular season. But backup quarterbacks Hall, Joshua Dobbs, and Nick Mullens completed 65.2% of their passes for 2,369 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, going 3-6 to close the season.
Only Hall and Mullens are under contract for next season. But Cousins is on the Vikings’ books for $28.5 million, perhaps pushing the Vikings to bring him back. Fowler’s scenario also requires the Buccaneers to move on from Mayfield.
Fowler also listed Cousins as a potential fit in Tampa.
Cousins returning with a new developmental quarterback slotting in behind him next season still seems to be the most likely scenario for the Vikings.
