The Vikings ‘Most Boneheaded Decision’ from a National View
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings traded for tight end Chris Herndon from the New York Jets days after Irv Smith Jr. was lost for all of the 2021 season. The transaction cost the Vikings a 2022 4th-Rounder in exchange for Herndon and an extra 6th-Round pick.
That deal was met with disdain from fans, speculating the trade sum was too much for an unproven tight end. Well, according to Bleacher Report, that trade wasn’t even the Vikings dumbest move of the season.
Per Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, the Vikings most boneheaded move of the season was passing on Justin Fields in the NFL draft.
Never mind the idea Minnesota had a quarterback cumulatively earning about $80 million during 2021 and 2022. Sobleski believed the Vikings should’ve completed a trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft for Fields, securing a quarterback of the future not named Cousins. Sobleski wrote:
“The Minnesota Vikings wanted to draft quarterback Justin Fields but didn’t get a deal done during the first round. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman attempted to trade up six picks into the eighth slot, with the intention of selecting the Ohio State product. A finalized deal between Minnesota and the Carolina Panthers never materialized. Interestingly, Fields slid to the 11th overall pick, and the NFC North-rival Bears traded up to acquire his services. Minnesota might have had the same opportunity and still didn’t pull the trigger. Starter Kirk Cousins, 33, has one more year remaining on his deal, and it’s fully guaranteed. But the Vikings wanted to prepare for the future with an athletic and talented signal-caller who would have fit in nicely with the team’s offense. They have no set future for the quarterback position in a year where the QB draft crop doesn’t even have a top-20 prospect, per B/R’s NFL Draft Scouting Department. Instead, they’ll face Fields twice a year for the foreseeable future.”
The idea to choose Fields – assuming a magical trade up to grab him – would’ve been cogent if it wasn’t for two things.
First, the Vikings are not rebuilding in 2021. They’re doing the opposite, holding “all in” stakes. Starting a rookie quarterback in an all-in year for the head coach would be odd and unfair. Mike Zimmer is not believed to possess long-term job security. Plus, Minnesota has a signal-caller whose name rhymes with dozens. Was it wiser to go all-in for a specific season with a veteran in Cousins or a rookie in Fields? That should be a no-brainer.
Then, Fields isn’t even playing well. He has a lot of time to eventually blossom. But for now, he stinks. Flat-out stinks. Mike Zimmer, at this point on his resume, doesn’t have the patience for a quarterback who stinks. The 2021 Vikings roster is built to win – although it’s not doing much of that at 4-5 – and Fields would not help it. His QBR is 27.7, a mark that is revolting. All in all, Fields is about the second-worst starting quarterback in the league right now behind Zach Wilson of the New York Jets.
The only memory Fields is responsible for so far is almost leading a comeback versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9. And that’s it.
Down the line – when Fields’ career is more defined – then it could seem boneheaded that the Vikings didn’t trade up for the Ohio State Buckeye. Yet, right now, the Vikings needed to win with the roster as currently constructed. Fitting Fields in with that plan was counterproductive.
Why? Because his small sample size to date is not conducive to winning football.
The conversation of should they or shouldn’t they have about Fields and the Vikings should experience a verdict in 2024 or so.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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