Pre-Free Agency Vikings Roster Evaluation: The Quarterback Position Is a Clear Need in 2024, but How Should Minnesota Go about Filling It?
Josh Frey
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Free agency across the NFL officially gets started on Wednesday, March 13th.
Over the 11 days before free agency, we’ll be taking a bit of a deep dive into the Vikings roster to evaluate where each position group stands before the team can officially begin signing players on the open market. These evaluations will be broken up into the following topics:
- Quarterbacks
- Running Backs
- Wide Receivers
- Tight Ends
- Offensive Line
- Defensive Line
- Edge Rushers
- Linebackers
- Cornerbacks
- Safeties
- Special Teams
Today, we’ll get things started by talking about the most important position in football: the quarterback spot.
The Current Vikings Quarterbacks
As things currently stand on March 2nd, the Minnesota Vikings employ two quarterbacks on their roster: Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens. Both players started multiple games for the Vikings during the 2023 season, but neither option inspires a ton of confidence if they were forced to take on the QB1 role in 2024.
Hall, a fifth-round pick in 2023, was largely viewed as a project QB when he was selected by the Vikings, but that timeline was forced to speed up during his rookie season. After Kirk Cousins suffered his Achilles injury, the BYU product jumped into the starting lineup in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. His outing looked relatively promising, completing five of his six passes for 78 yards and leading Minnesota into the red zone, but a concussion forced him out of the game.
The rookie would get another start against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, but he was pulled at halftime after completing five of his 10 passes for 67 yards and throwing an interception.
As for Mullens, he was unable to jump into the starting lineup against Atlanta because he was still on IR due to a back injury. However, the veteran journeyman would get his shot to get into a game in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders. After the Vikings were held scoreless through 3.5 quarters with Josh Dobbs under center, Mullens came in and led Minnesota to a 3-0 win, thus inspiring confidence in the six-year pro moving forward.
However, things would quickly take a downward turn. The Vikings proceeded to go 0-3 in Mullens’ starts, and he finished his season 1306 yards for seven TDs and eight interceptions.
Pending Free Agents
The biggest question for the Vikings right now revolves around their decision with Kirk Cousins. He and Josh Dobbs, who was acquired via an in-season trade with the Arizona Cardinals, are both set to enter free agency in about a week and a half.
Cousins will turn 36 in August and, as mentioned, is in the process of recovering from his Achilles tear. Still, the veteran QB was playing some of the best football of his entire career when he suffered the injury. Over the eight games he played, Cousins threw for 2331 yards, 18 TDs, and had just five interceptions.
The main questions with Cousins and his potential to return to Minnesota will revolve around his injury progress (we’ve gotten a couple updates this week) along with the ultimate price tag that is required to keep him around. The Vikings can still offer him an extension before March 13th, but once that date hits, he will officially be a free agent. If March 13th arrives with no contract signed, it becomes increasingly more likely that he will not be in a Vikings uniform in 2024.
The sneaky free agent on the Vikings roster is Dobbs. After being acquired via trade with the Cardinals, Dobbs started four games for the Vikings, leading them to a 2-2 record in those matchups. Dobbs presented plenty of highlights during his season in Minnesota (comeback against Atlanta, win over the Saints), but the offense saw a steady decline over the final weeks of his stint as the starter.
At the very least, though, Dobbs is an experienced backup with plenty of positive traits. The Vikings could very well look to keep the rocket scientist in purple by re-signing him to help their QB room.
Potential Free Agency Targets
If the Vikings move on from Cousins, there is a growing sentiment that they could look to bring in a bridge quarterback to take over the starting job in 2024. This would allow them to sign a cheaper quarterback from the open market while offering time to groom a young player to eventually take over that role.
The first player that comes to mind for this role is Russell Wilson. The Denver Broncos are expected to release him (eating a wild $85 million in dead cap in the process), thus letting the veteran move on and sign with a new team. Wilson’s tenure in Denver went disastrously, but there have been plenty of problems in that franchise over the past few years.
Wilson is still a talented passer (throwing for 3070 yards and 26 TDs in 2023), and the most intriguing part of a potential union with the Vikings is that his price point shouldn’t be much higher than a veteran minimum, considering Denver is on the hook for so much of his money. Back in January, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggested Wilson won’t command “anything close” to market price. If that’s the case, the Vikings would be taking on very little risk by bringing him in.
Other options exist as well. Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be released by the Las Vegas Raiders (though he will be suspended for the first two games of 2024), and Sam Darnold will be a free agent this offseason after serving as the backup to Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers.
To be clear, none of these options should be considered “long-term solutions” for the Vikings, but if it is important for Minnesota to develop a young QB rather than throw the player straight into the fire, options are available.
The Draft Is Chock Full of Talent
The Vikings currently hold the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft, putting them in prime position to either select or trade up for a quarterback this spring. Considering a deal isn’t set in place to keep Cousins around, it certainly feels like this is the most likely scenario as of now.
The Vikings are doing their due diligence with just about every top QB prospect as well. They’ve been confirmed to have taken meetings with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix at the NFL Combine, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got a chance to watch Bo Nix firsthand at the Senior Bowl.
There is no guarantee that the Vikings will find their franchise QB this spring, but it feels like now is as good a time as any to take a shot on a high-end prospect.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.