Is It Illegal for a Vikings QB to Stay for 3+ Years?
While recent rumblings about Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins’ potential exodus may be overblown or false, NFL media has captured the alleged unrest in Minnesota nonethless.
The San Francisco 49ers are purportedly shopping Jimmy Garopollo – who was supposed to be a franchise savior four years ago – to the highest bidder. Garoppolo has been plagued by injury and up-and-down performance since he arrived The Bay in 2017. His start in San Francisco was thunderous as the 49ers won five straight games to close out the 2017 season after a dreadful 1-10 beginning to the campaign.
Although the 49ers reached the Super Bowl last season, the thrill of Garoppolo subsided soon after. Some 49ers faithful may still adore him or envision his upside, but overall, it is time to move on in San Francisco.
Because 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has famous “ties” to Cousins from their Washington Football Team days, Cousins is theorized as number one with a bullet on Shanahan’s wishlist at signal-caller.
So, a rumor is born.
No source inside the Vikings tent has confirmed that Cousins is up for grabs. This entire sequence of gossip may be laughable and discarded in retrospect. For the time being, however, the hubbub is real.
And so the saga continues of Vikings quarterback hopscotch – if indeed Cousins departs before the start of 2021 season.
The Hodgepodge since Culpepper
For 15 years, the Vikings have scoffed at quarterback continuity. General Manager Rick Spielman landed Cousins in 2018, and that has been the closest semblance to quarterback stability since 2005. Should Cousins join another franchise before September, an irrefutable pattern will further illuminate.
Daunte Culpepper was injured in 2005. He never played another snap of football with the Vikings thereafter. From that point forward, it is “buckle up” pertaining to the array of names that led the huddle in Minnesota. In order, these are the quarterbacks that were afforded a meaningful audition (and the number of games each man started): Brad Johnson (14), Tarvaris Jackson (20), Kelly Holcomb (3), Gus Frerotte (11), Brett Favre (29), Donovan McNabb (6), Christian Ponder (36), Matt Cassel (9), Teddy Bridgewater (28), Sam Bradford (17), and Case Keenum (14).
That is the antithesis of continuity. Instead, it is “what have you done for me lately” at its most topsy-turvy standard.
Then, there is Cousins. He has been the team’s undisputed QB1for 47 games. The man has never missed a game to injury in his NFL career.
Nevertheless, Vikings dust has kicked up to explore elsewhere – once again – because quarterbacks are not allowed to remain in Minnesota for longer than three years. Evidently.
Since Tarkenton – Only 3 Examples of Continuity
Minnesota has three men it can exalt as examples of quarterback stability since Fran Tarkenton retired in 1978 – Tommy Kramer, Daunte Culpepper, and now [maybe] Cousins. If Cousins is jettisoned, his legacy lands on the purple ash heap of discarded quarterbacks. And this is a hill that is humongous when compared to other competent NFL franchises.
Tommy Kramer was steady – he led the offense in 110 starts. He is emphatically excluded from any continuity frustration.
Wade Wilson started a bunch of games in the 1980s but never with much stick-to-it-ness. In the 1990s and 2000s, Brad Johnson was Wade Wilson-esque. Johnson earned a few separate auditions as the team’s starting quarterback, but none of those excursions amounted to much team success.
Warren Moon was damn good for 2.5 years. But then he got old and deteriorated rapidly in 1996 a la Brett Favre 14 years later with the Vikings.
Minnesota did its favorite pastime – find an aging vet to milk for about 10-16 games and then go find another. That was the late 1990s. Finally, the team settled on Daunte Culpepper, who was a prolific passer of the football.
Following Culpepper is the aforementioned stretch of quarterback hot-potato. From Brad Johnson to Case Keenum, the cycle restarted. It stopped with Kirk Cousins in 2018 but may now be heating up yet again.
Cousins Chatter Means We’re Here Again
In the event Cousins is not traded to San Francisco or elsewhere before the commencement of the 2021 regular season, this much ado about nothing. Until he takes a snap in September, though, it feels illegal for the Vikings to keep a starting quarterback for more than three seasons — just look at the history. Even the “let’s move on” sentiment from some Vikings fans is tangible. Cousins – the NFL’s sixth-best quarterback via passer rating of all-time – is staring the fanbase in the face, only he is met with “you’re not quite good enough” glares.
Cousins is the only Vikings quarterback in franchise history to start 15+ games in three consecutive seasons. Think about that. Are you sure you want to start over – again?
