3 Veteran Backup QB Options for the Vikings
K. Joudry
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At present, the Vikings only have Kirk Cousins at quarterback. Given that Cousins basically never gets hurt, fans can fool themselves into believing that the QB2 spot isn’t particularly important. We know, though, that a strong backup can be vital (just look at Case Keenum in 2017). A veteran backup QB can save a season.
Leading up to the draft, there has been a fair bit of chatter about the merits of selecting a young quarterback. Most recently, Minnesota has sought to bolster the position by choosing Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley, neither of whom are still in town.
As we wade into the free agency waters, we should be keeping an eye on the QB room. At 35 (in August), Cousins isn’t getting any younger. Having someone who can run the offense in a proficient manner is an overlooked-yet-no-less-important part of building up the Vikings during the offseason.
The Veteran Backup QB Options
1) Nick Mullens, 27
$1.252 Million Cap Hit in 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah brought Mullens over from the Raiders before the 2022 season began. At the time, the praise for Adofo-Mensah was clear and decisive: the first-year GM showed wisdom by bringing in an upside QB2.
Nothing about the 2022 season should dampen that enthusiasm. Mullens is a great QB2, someone whom Josh Frey has identified as someone to monitor for the starting role once Cousins decides it’s time to sail off into the sunset.
In all likeliood, Mullens will be looking for an upgrade on his previous contract. He has made $4.47 million in his NFL career, a mere pittance in comparison to Minnesota’s starter. Securing a medium-ish deal that can more than double or triple his career earnings may be the play for Mr. Mullens.
In 54 snaps last season, Mullens completed 84% of his passes while throwing 1 TD and 1 INT.
2) Marcus Mariota, 29
$4.25 Million Cap Hit in 2022
Earlier in the week, Josh Frey discussed the Mariota release and potential fit in Minnesota. It’s not hard to see the appeal.
A former 2nd-overall selection, Mariota has always had a ton of talent. Perhaps his most impressive statistical season came back in 2016 when he completed more than 60% of his passes, tossed for more than 3400 yards, and had a 26/9 TD-INT ratio. He also added 349 rushing yards and a pair of TDs on the ground.
More recently, Mariota struggled for the Falcons, a team with considerably less talent than Minnesota. He did, however, start 13 games for them in 2022. Adding a QB2 with great athleticism, a ton of starting experience, and some youth makes a lot of sense.
The major concern, of course, is price. It’s difficult to envision the Vikings being able to spend anything above a few million out of their 2023 cap on the QB2. Mariota may be too expensive.
3) Andy Dalton, 35
$3 Million Cap Hit in 2022
Similar to Mariota, Dalton has a ton of starting experience. Even more impressive, perhaps, is that he has some reasonably strong advanced numbers. In 2022, Dalton came in as the 7th-best QB in the PFF rankings, a couple spots ahead of Kirk Cousins. Mariota was down at 28th, right in between Derek Carr and Russell Wilson.
The decision to sign Dalton would be about strong backup QB play over the next season or two rather than planning for life after Cousins. At 35, Dalton is older than Cousins, so he’d by no means be the team’s long-term solution once #8 is done.
Rather, Dalton would stabilize the QB room’s floor while (presumably) being a good resource to the starter. The 12-year veteran has played for the Bengals, Bears, Cowboys, and Saints. Being able to draw on all that experience – he has 162 starts in his career – would be beneficial to any starter.
From 2020-22, Dalton hasn’t had a cap hit above $5 million.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Spotrac, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
