Vikings Peek at “What Could Have Been” on Monday
On Monday Night Football in Week 15, the Minnesota Vikings will get a look at what could have been for the very first time with Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
During the 2021 NFL Draft process, Minnesota was perhaps shopping for a 1st-Round quarterback, settling instead for a passer named Kellen Mond out of the 3rd Round. Mond has yet to see meaningful regular season action with the Vikings.
Rumored to be in the Vikings orbit last April? Justin Fields – the current signal-caller for the rival Bears. His rookie season to date is lackluster, but the man will have ample time to mature and develop.
In the aftermath of the draft, the Vikings were linked to interest in Fields, allegedly contemplating a move to snag the Ohio State alumnus via trade with the Carolina Panthers.
It is unclear how serious general manager Rick Spielman was on the prospect of landing Fields for the Vikings. For now and potentially the future, Minnesota hosts Kirk Cousins at quarterback, and he’s an upper-echelon player by every metric known to man.
Still, some fans are unconvinced Cousins is the right guy for Minnesota. He’s trending toward leading Minnesota to the playoffs once in four seasons – unless the Vikings pull off a mini-miracle amid the next four games of 2021.
So, who do you want? Who do you trust? Kirk Cousins or Justin Fields?
Cousins is consistent, near the 10th or 11th-best quarterback in the league each season. He’s not elite, but the man nibbles at those conversations from time to time. Fields, on the other hand, has not performed well as a rookie – his numbers rank in the cellar via every parameter – but he’ll get better [probably] in years two and three.
When the rubber hits the sloppy grass at Soldier Field on Monday night, Vikings fans will glimpse at the guy they could’ve cast off versus the one who could’ve been acquired via blockbuster trade eight months ago. A healthy sect of Vikings nation found it mighty intriguing that Fields was somewhat available. Should Minnesota have drafted Fields, grooming him for 2022 or 2023 when Cousins’ deal runs out? Or does the eye test tell you already that Fields isn’t quite the Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert some thought he’d be?
So far, all Vikings fans have done is watch Fields from a distance and in box scores. This week, they get a boots-on-the-ground view of his skillset.
Had the Vikings drafted Fields, he likely would not have played much in 2021 – Cousins is performing wonderfully – but he’d be a beacon of hope for the post-Cousins era.
Instead, Minnesota sits at 6-7, hoping to beat Fields’ bad Bears team – while wondering what the future holds for the team, quarterback, head coach, and general manager.
Fields would’ve defined the Vikings future regardless of what happens in the coming months to Mike Zimmer, Rick Spielman, or Cousins. Now, though, Minnesota is in wait-and-see mode. Will they reach the postseason and make a run? Or will they flounder, fire a bunch of people, and search for the next version of Fields?
Well, against the Bears in Week 15, the Vikings will receive their first look at just how good the “what could have been” guy plays in real-time.
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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