Which Quarterbacks Are Minnesota’s Best for ?…

Which Quarterbacks Are Minnesota’s Best for ?…

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I feel like this offseason should end sooner rather than later. These quarterback-related questions drag me down like an anchor chain over my shoulders as a sports fan. I’m unable to eat or sleep. The only thing I can do is futilely debate with myself about who ought to be the next quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.

Last week, I wrote about the quarterback position and how Minnesota should prepare a young passer differently by looking at players like C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love. In this case, there are multiple ways to get in someone’s face. Setting aside the graphic allusions to feline taxidermy, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah ought to investigate them all. However, Adofo-Mensah’s little time as general manager has shown us that this squad is not prepared to fail now in the hopes of contending later. That probably also applies to their quarterback situation in 2024, I’m prepared to wager.

Adofo-Mensah will not want to choose a quarterback without a backup plan, even if they find a young quarterback in this year’s draft and take the required steps to acquire him. Adofo-Mensah is probably going to want any rookie quarterback to have to earn their starting job and have a strong veteran presence behind him, whether it’s to protect a player who’s struggling like Bryce Young did this past season or to be ready in the event of an injury like with Anthony Richardson.

Although nobody enjoys playing quarterback on a bridge, it could be wise to do so in this case, particularly if they move on from Kirk Cousins. Therefore, even if it might not be the most exciting conversation ever, it would be beneficial for us to understand the free-agent bridge quarterback market in 2024.

Let’s begin with the most elegant and luxurious bridges.

It might be argued that having Kirk Cousins return may serve as your bridge quarterback. But to call him such would be a huge disservice to Cousins’ abilities. Cousins is more of a mid-tier starter than a bridge, despite worries about his Achilles tendon, and he will likely look for a contract that reflects that standing. Additionally, after turning down a team-friendly extension offer from the Cousins camp during the previous summer, the Vikings have hinted that they might be moving on from Cousins. It might only take the organization’s fears about injuries, the cost, and the desire to try something different to turn things around.

Cousins is, quite rightly, going to be considered the best quarterback available should he become a free agent. It might not be exactly what Minnesota needs right now, though.
The other pseudo-starter that merits discussion is Baker Mayfield. Although the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who was formerly selected first overall, is expected to become a free agency, he may have had his best season as a pro in Tampa. Even though those were combined with careless and foolish choices, he displayed glimpses of the ability that contributed to his first-round draft selection. If he were to become available to a team trying to stay competitive, he would be a fantastic alternative. However, I also noticed that the Bucs had franchise-tagged him. They can then continue to house Mayfield in the building while figuring out whether or not 2023 was an outlier.

High-end backup Gardner Minshew is also capable of closing the gap. Despite not being a world-beater the previous season, Minshew helped Indianapolis maintain its competitiveness following Anthony Richardson’s injury. As far as backups go, Minshew is about as good as it gets. Against a rookie, he might easily win the starting position in Week 1. The Indianapolis Colts have to determine if they have enough confidence in Richardson’s health and abilities to allow Minshew to leave the building. He would still likely be the league’s most competitive true backup. If Minnesota had to bench a rookie for the majority of the season, Minshew shown that he was capable of handling the position for the most of the campaign.
Below Minshew, there is still another category of players. Though you would certainly prefer not to rely on them for the most of the season, there are still plenty of guys that could start the season or step in for a rookie in a hurry. The players that I believe best meet this standard are Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, and Jameis Winston.

We’ve seen players who have spent significant portions of their careers playing football of starting caliber in Winston, Brissett, and Tannehill. But I’m leery of the Vikings placing them under center because of their worries about their advancing age, health, and playing quality. Despite being the most erratic of the three, Winston is by far the most entertaining. If nothing else, Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson will have plenty of deep-ball chances to score (though they’ll probably have to make up for the deficit that Winston’s mistakes put them in).

Beyond that, things become dicey. We begin to consider names like Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, and Mason Rudolph. Players that are only slightly better than the second-year player Jaren Hall and the veteran Nick Mullens that the Vikings currently have on the roster. This season, both Flacco and Rudolph had successful spells managing games, but they also demonstrated in the closing stages of the season why they are firmly established backups. We can remove any traces of the word “competition” from Kwesi Adofo-competitive Mensah’s reconstruction if we begin to really consider starting a player like Mason Rudolph. Just give me Jaren Hall or some other bright-eyed rookie at that time.
Below Minshew, there is still another category of players. Though you would certainly prefer not to rely on them for the most of the season, there are still plenty of guys that could start the season or step in for a rookie in a hurry. The players that I believe best meet this standard are Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, and Jameis Winston.

We’ve seen players who have spent significant portions of their careers playing football of starting caliber in Winston, Brissett, and Tannehill. But I’m leery of the Vikings placing them under center because of their worries about their advancing age, health, and playing quality. Despite being the most erratic of the three, Winston is by far the most entertaining. If nothing else, Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson will have plenty of deep-ball chances to score (though they’ll probably have to make up for the deficit that Winston’s mistakes put them in).

Beyond that, things become dicey. We begin to consider names like Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, and Mason Rudolph. Players that are only slightly better than the second-year player Jaren Hall and the veteran Nick Mullens that the Vikings currently have on the roster. This season, both Flacco and Rudolph had successful spells managing games, but they also demonstrated in the closing stages of the season why they are firmly established backups. We can remove any traces of the word “competition” from Kwesi Adofo-competitive Mensah’s reconstruction if we begin to really consider starting a player like Mason Rudolph. Just give me Jaren Hall or some other bright-eyed rookie at that time.
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell’s biggest obstacle is that they might have to decide before draft night, and their lack of predictability could leave them alone at the dance. In order to avoid drafting out of desperation, it makes sense to lessen your need before the draft. Finding a bridge quarterback is so essential to this offseason strategy.

We’ll then watch how this administration manages its hunt for the quarterback of the future in April. I’m interested to find out who it is and how they plan to get his services. But when the time comes, I guess we’ll simply have to cross that bridge.