The Vikings' QB succession plan is already taking shape. What's next for them?
The Minnesota Vikings tried very hard to keep quarterback Kirk Cousins, who had built up two contracts' worth of goodwill with the organization and two seasons of overall success with head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Ultimately, the Vikings couldn't come close, according to reports. Cousins is now an Atlanta Falcon and a guaranteed $100 million richer. Atlanta signed him to a four-year deal coming off an Achilles injury ahead of his 36th birthday.
Minnesota wasn't going to do all of that.
The good news is that while the Vikings' Plan A fell through, they have a ton of capital with which to come up with a Plan B. Even after making additions in free agency, they have $31 million in cap space and nine picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. And their plan is beginning to take shape.
The team signed veteran quarterback Sam Darnold on Tuesday to a one-year, $10 million deal. In case this needs to be spelled out, Darnold is a bridge. He's an insurance plan. He is not being signed to be the unquestioned starter. Darnold will likely have the opportunity to contend for that position but I still expect Minnesota to be aggressive in trying to move up for a quarterback in the draft.
Why do I expect that? Because the Vikings reportedly tried to move up last year to get C.J. Stroud. They had a fraction of the capital then. Now that they have plenty of picks and some bargaining chips, they should swing for the fences again.
Minnesota is also set up to facilitate the development and growth of a young quarterback. They added Josh McCown, a former NFL quarterback, to their staff. O'Connell himself is a former quarterback. It means the two coaches the passers will deal with have been in their shoes.
The Vikings also have a roster set up to help a young signal caller. They just signed veteran running back Aaron Jones a day after he was released by Green Bay. Minnesota's offensive line isn't quite a finished product, but they have two bookend tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill who are some of the best at their respective positions. They also have tight end T.J. Hockenson, who was a huge safety net for the departed Cousins. And oh yeah, they have the best receiver in football in Justin Jefferson, who is due for an extension any day now.
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On the other side of the ball, Brian Flores has completely overhauled the defense, which kept the team afloat after Cousins got injured last season. Minnesota has loaded up in free agency, adding linebackers for Flores and had one of the best value signings so far in Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5 sacks for Houston last season. The defense can win games for the Vikings, which is a relief for any new quarterback coming in.
Minnesota won't have an easy time convincing a team to tango in moving up for that new quarterback, but it may be less complicated than you think. The Vikings currently have the No. 11 overall pick. Of the teams picking in front of them, four need quarterbacks or are likely in the market for one. That includes the New York Giants. It also includes the Chicago Bears, the Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots, who are picking 1-2-3. Depending on who Minnesota is going after — reports say they "adore" Drake Maye — they may only need to get into the third spot. That would mean they have to leapfrog two of those four teams.
It's going to cost a pretty penny, regardless. But it may not be as complicated as it would seem.
You can bet general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is already starting to make those calls.
Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.