Vikings fans watched in pain as they saw quarterback Kirk Cousins throw three interceptions in Sunday’s devastating loss against the Falcons.
This is your reminder that Cousins is under contract through 2022 and is due $66 million guaranteed over that stretch.
If the Vikings don’t make the playoffs this season, which seems likely, and Cousins continues to struggle, there will be plenty of speculation on who Minnesota’s next quarterback should be — even if Cousins is under contract.
It would be nice, though, if the Vikings were able to turn to someone with some potential upside in the meantime. I’m not talking about a top-tier prospect but instead a fourth or fifth-round pick — someone like Indianapolis’ Jacob Eason or Buffalo’s Jake Fromm. Considering the Vikings were stockpiled with mid-round picks this season, this is disappointing.
That would allow the Vikings to at least give that player a chance in blowouts or when Cousins is playing terribly, instead of considering someone like Sean Mannion, who we can all agree is not the answer and will never be.
The Vikings did use a seventh-round pick on Nate Stanley in 2020, but he’s currently on the team’s practice squad.
It’s almost a guarantee that the Vikings will be drafting a quarterback in the 2021 draft with someone who can replace Cousins if he continues to play like this.
It’s a shame they can’t give someone a tryout before then.