Is a QB controversy coming for the Vikings?

There’s a chance of it happening

This offseason has been filled with all sorts of rumors, from the Vikings trading key parts of the team like running back Dalvin Cook and/or edge specialist Danielle Hunter to even moving on from current quarterback Kirk Cousins. So, let’s dive into some of these quarterbacks that have been rumored to be the new QB1 of the future for the Vikings.

It all started early in the off-season, as all good rumors do. The earliest trade rumor was sending Kirk Cousins to the San Fransisco 49ers for Trey Lance and then some. Trey is a 22-year-old, going on his third year in the NFL. After sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo his rookie year, he got the chance to start last year. His second year in the NFL got cut short as he sustained a gruesome-looking leg injury. Eventually, the trade rumors fizzled as the 49ers went out and signed Sam Darnold after letting Garappolo sign with the Raiders. Trey Lance is from a small town in Minnesota and I know a lot of fans wanted to see this deal done, no matter how little experience Trey has in the NFL. Rather, the fans of Trey know how well he moves in the pocket, avoiding pressure. And when he gets the chance, he is more than willing to flash that cannon of an arm that he has.

Then came Lamar Jackson and all of his baggage. Lamar was put on the non-exclusive Franchise Tag this offseason, allowing the QB to go seek a deal elsewhere, but the Ravens have a chance to match any offer in order to keep him with the team. If the Ravens did NOT want to match any other team’s offer, the Ravens would get 2 first-round picks regardless of what team he went to. Talks of teams signing Lamar have been very minimal, but the Vegas Oddsmakers seem to like the idea of Lamar in a different shade of purple and gold. If anyone knows Vegas odds, they’re never too far off, as the odds to land Jackson just a couple of weeks ago were +450 to land in Minnesota, the fourth highest. Given the current cap structure and resources, the Vikings may want to look in a different direction for their QB of the future.

Now we go to the draft, where the Vikings have been rumored to take a quarterback with their first pick in the first round this year, which is pick 23.

Senior Kentucky quarterback Will Levis has been taken by the Vikings in multiple mock drafts of the “experts”. Levis is a 23-year-old strong-armed quarterback who played against the always tough SEC. In his last year at Kentucky, Levis threw for over 2,400 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Taking a slight fall from his previous season, Levis saw his draft stock take off after a strong combine performance where he showed off his big arm.

Another senior quarterback rumored to be taken in the first round by your Minnesota Vikings is Tennessee quarterback, Hendon Hooker. Hooker also plays in the SEC. Last year, he threw for over 3,100 yards with 27 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Hooker had back-to-back impressive seasons with the Volunteers, but unfortunately tore his ACL in late November, ending his college career.

Both of these options may be seen as an upgrade over current QB Kirk Cousins, but since Cousins is still under contract with the team for at least one more year, any rookie QB selected by the team would have the chance to sit and learn behind the veteran. The team has a few options and one of them being to move on from Kirk and kick things into gear by letting the new regime pick “their guy” moving forward. Whether we see that come to fruition in the near future has yet to be determined, but with Kirk’s contract talks fizzling out, the buzz around a new QB is heating up!