This is a critical offseason for the Minnesota Vikings. That’s not a secret.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell have offered many reasons for optimism in their first two seasons in charge of the Vikings. But, ultimately, they have little to show for it.
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have several vital choices that will drastically shape the franchise’s future. Of course, the most important one is whether or not to bring back Kirk Cousins. That decision will have the most significant immediate impact.
But other decisions on the horizon will impact the Vikings in 2024 and beyond. Is it time for Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell to draft a quarterback of the future? How about star pass rusher Danielle Hunter? Has he played his last game in Minnesota?
We’ll find out Minnesota’s answers to these questions in due time. While the Vikings are watching the playoffs from home, two NFC North rivals are thriving in the postseason. Suddenly, Minnesota is farther away from contention than we initially thought.
The Detroit Lions are trending upwards in a big way. It’s no secret that they have been one of the most efficient teams in the NFL this season thanks to Jared Goff’s career revitalization and brilliant team building by head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. Detroit’s roster is superb, filled with cornerstone pieces at all the most critical positions. There’s no reason to think the Lions are slowing down any time soon.
Meanwhile, lightning may have struck a third time across the border. The Green Bay Packers executed an unthinkable turnaround of their season to sneak into the NFC playoffs as the No. 7 seed, where they blew out the 2-seeded Dallas Cowboys on the road. Quarterback Jordan Love has played almost flawless football down the stretch of the season. Plus, the Packers have the youngest roster in the league. They also won’t be slowing down any time soon.
Then there’s the Chicago Bears. They didn’t wow anyone last year, but they made big strides defensively down the stretch of the season. Chicago also has the top pick in the upcoming draft and a second top-10 pick to boot. So they will either have a new franchise quarterback in a few months or a bounty of young talent to add around Justin Fields. (My money is on drafting a new QB. If they hit on that pick, look out.)
All of this promise for the rest of the NFC North puts more pressure on Adofo-Mensah to make the right decisions this offseason. At this point, the Vikings have several different paths to take.
Bringing back Cousins, whether for one or two years, signals an intention to remain competitive in the NFC North.
That decision would also show a belief in what the Vikings were building in the middle of last season. After an 0-3 start, Minnesota rebounded with a five-game winning streak, including a Monday night victory over the San Francisco 49ers, who were seven-point favorites. But Cousins tore his Achilles a week later in Green Bay. The desperation trade for quarterback Joshua Dobbs netted positive returns in the short term. Still, the result was an unsuccessful scramble by O’Connell to replace Cousins’ production.
If Cousins had been healthy, how does this Vikings season turn out? Is it still going? It might be, given that four of Minnesota’s six post-Cousins losses were by a slim margin. They also included multiple costly turnovers by the starting quarterback that Cousins may have avoided.
Meanwhile, when looking at the Vikings through a long-term lens, re-signing Cousins only puts the necessary reset at quarterback on hold. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell are now through two seasons and still have not had the chance to draft and develop a franchise quarterback. Every regime, especially one with an offensive schemer like O’Connell, seems to get that opportunity. It would make sense to assume that Minnesota’s duo will get that chance eventually.
Perhaps now is the perfect time for the Vikings to initiate that quarterback reset and go get their guy in the NFL Draft. After all, it seems like Detroit is entering a Super Bowl window, and Green Bay might not be far behind. Would it behoove the Vikings to completely rebuild while their rivals chase titles?
Or do the Vikings buy into that glimmer of hope that they had during the middle of the 2023 season? In that case, they bring back Cousins and run it back in 2024 with the goal of winning in the postseason.
The Cousins decision will be the foundation of whichever plan the Vikings execute. But Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have more to consider in a suddenly competitive NFC North. And perhaps they can take some notes from some of their division rivals on building a contending team in the process.
