Russell Wilson as a Viking Makes Very Little Sense…Unless the Numbers are Stunningly Low

NFL: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

With declining talent and criticisms aplenty about his self-awareness, Russell Wilson looks like an odd fit for a Vikings team that’s trying to contend.

In the NFL, though, it’s really all about the money, isn’t it?

A fresh report from Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press brings the dollars and cents back to the fore. Per the veteran writer, the Vikings’ veteran QB could ask for a staggeringly-high amount of cash: “The buzz now is that it will take $90 million guaranteed for two years, despite that he’s still not yet fully recovered from Achilles surgery in November, to sign free agent QB Kirk Cousins. If that’s the case, he certainly won’t get that from the Vikings.”

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) leaves the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The comment about the no-chance-in-Eagan amount of money provides Mr. Walters with a pivot point to get into a discussion about Wilson bringing his talent to Minnesota.

“It’s not far-fetched that the Vikings would consider, for financial reasons, Russell Wilson as their bridge QB next season if they draft a QB with their No. 11 pick in April,” Walters explains. “The Broncos are expected to cut Wilson, 35, who if he’s on the roster next March, his 2025 salary of $37 million becomes guaranteed. His $37 million deal for next season already is guaranteed by Denver.”

Russell Wilson as a Viking

Going into 2022, I was of the opinion that the Seahawks did wrong by Russell Wilson.

Over the years, the QB shredded Minnesota at seemingly every turn. At his best, he’s an insanely-elusive QB who helps propel his team toward legitimate contention. He has often had an ability to be clutch, largely flowing from a belief in himself that has more recently come under scrutiny. The reason? Well, things got bad in Denver.

Jan 3, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) prior to the game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The memes were plentiful. Russell Wilson was proudly proclaiming “Let’s Ride” while the internet was superimposing the catchphrase onto a 37-point turn from Austin Powers. The QB was bragging about his Wolverine blood even while his Broncos were careening toward a 5-12 record (which is to say nothing of Nathaniel Hackett getting canned after less than a season).

And who can forget the high knees on the team plane while his teammates tried to get their rest? Truly, that story is the gift that keeps on giving (unless you’re the teammate trying to get some much-needed rest).

Sep 26, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) talks with Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.

Fast forward to 2023 and Sean Payton was supposed to revive both Wilson and the Broncos. To a certain extent, that happened, but things didn’t go far enough.

The QB’s numbers bounced back into respectability and so too the did win/loss ratio but Wilson still got benched toward the end of the season. If the expected occurs, a cut will happen in the not-too-distant future.

If/when that occurs, George Paton’s decision to ship out a 1st, 2nd, 5th, another 1st, another 2nd, and then a trio of players — Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, Drew Lock — will go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history. Paton, as some will recall, was an executive in Minnesota for a while before getting the nod to take over as the Broncos’ GM. Not a great decision from the former Vikings executive.

NFL: Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton Introductory Press Conference
Feb 6, 2023; Englewood, CO, USA; General manager George Paton speaks during a press conference at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

After all of that context, can we land the plane? What’s with the chatter about Russell Wilson and the Vikings making at least a tiny bit of sense?

Well, the only real hope — as far as I can tell, at least — comes down to the financial scenario that Walters lays out in his article. Assume, for the sake of argument, that Kirk Cousins truly does want $45 million per year across two seasons (guaranteed, of course). If that’s the case, Minnesota will be looking elsewhere for a QB1 in 2024. Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall remain (don’t write off the young fella), so they’ll use those two as their starting point while searching for a more compelling starter.

Signing Wilson for a cap hit that’s as minuscule as Walters projects isn’t the worst idea in the world: “But if the Vikings are interested in Wilson, his 2024 contract has a salary off-set, meaning he would cost only the NFL veteran minimum of $1.2 million with incentives. The Broncos would owe the rest. Bottom line: The Vikings can either pay Cousins $45 million next season or Wilson $1.2 million.”

Sep 17, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Now, there’s a lot of assuming going on in the Walters commentary. Plus, the “bottom line” scenario that constructs things as an either/or doesn’t make a pile of sense, but let’s run with it.

If — and a lot hinges on that tiny, two-letter word: if — all of the financial details prove accurate, then onboarding Wilson isn’t necessarily a disaster. As Walters suggests, Minnesota could lean on Wilson as the bridge QB to help protect and shepherd the highly-selected QB.

Benching a player making just $1.2 million wouldn’t be an issue if there was a need to do so. After all, Mullens will be carrying a $2.23 million cap charge, so we really are talking about a strikingly-small amount of money for a starting QB, especially since Wilson really has accomplished a ton in the NFL.

Last season, Wilson completed 66.4% of his passes while picking up 3,070 yards, 26 TDs, and 8 INTs. He added on 341 rushing yards and a trio of rushing TDs but did fumble 10 times.

He has been to a pair of Super Bowls, winning one, and has been to the Pro Bowl nine times. He has been a second-team All Pro and been in consideration for major awards on multiple occasions. When it’s all said and done, voters will consider putting him into the Hall of Fame (even if he may end up falling short).

Wilson likely isn’t as bad as most people assume, so there is some merit in the hypothetical that gets laid out in The Pioneer Press. Nevertheless, the best course of action continues to be a middle-ground contract solution for Mr. Cousins while looking to the draft for a young, franchise QB.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.


K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.

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