The Minnesota Vikings have been arguing about the quarterback position for the last six off-seasons. First, it was which quarterback will take the reins in 2018 then it was either hoping for growth or the Vikings moving on from Kirk Cousins.
With Cousins coming up on his 35th birthday and only having one year left on his contract, those discussions are coming up quickly once again. He did have arguably his best season for the Vikings in 2022, especially when it comes to trying to push the ball down the field.
However, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was asked a mailbag question about Cousins’ contract situation and he believes that the Vikings could draft one this year.
“Nick, I think Kirk Cousins will be the Vikings’ quarterback in 2023, and I think, certainly, they’d consider doing another one-year extension with him this offseason (they’d have $12.5 million in dead money to deal with after next year if they walked away). But I also believe that Cousins’s age (he’ll be 35 in Week 1) and contract situation make the Vikings a quiet contender to take a quarterback in April.
Minnesota’s been here before, and recently. Had Justin Fields slipped to where the team was initially picking in 2021 (No. 14), before dealing down and taking Christian Darrisaw with the 23rd pick, the now-Bears quarterback would’ve been a serious consideration. So if, say, Florida’s Anthony Richardson were to fall into their laps at 24, it’s easy for me to see the Vikings seeing a raw prospect who could develop for a year behind Cousins and wind up being a monster for them a few years down the line (physically, he’s off the charts).”
Richardson is one of my favorite prospects in this draft class and has elite tools to build upon. If they were to take him, he could sit for a season behind Cousins or they could end up having Cousins ask for a trade. Setting up for the future would put the Vikings in a good spot.
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