Jan 11, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) meets with Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr (55) after the game in a NFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the February 28th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to DustinBakerNFL@gmail.com.
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”961206″ player=”26279″ title=”WATCH%20NFL%20Combine%20%20Top%20QB%20prospects%202022″ duration=”148″ description=”As is typically the case, quarterbacks will be under a microscope as the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine gets going.This year’s class is seen as relatively weak at the quarterback position. That’s why it’s important for these signal callers to stand out in individual workouts and during meetings with teams. Here, we check in on five quarterbacks to watch during the NFL Combine.” uploaddate=”2022-02-23″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/snapshot/961048_s_1645637739297.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/961048/961048.m3u8″]
A: This is an awesome question, foremost.
It can be something really menial and random. For example, last year, Stephen Weatherly signing with the Vikings happened very early in the free-agent cycle. That wasn’t necessarily a domino, but it was news. Weatherly returned — for a minute — on March 4th, 2021.
We predict the announcement of Anthony Barr not returning to Minnesota as the first major domino. This is very difficult to predict — the first domino could be, like, 18 different things — yet we’ll go with Barr’s departure. Barr almost left in 2019 to the New York Jets, and we believe he’ll actually leave this time.
A: Not yet.
The Vikings tweaked the uniforms eight years ago. And for a franchise that never really changes much with uniforms, it’s probably “too soon.” Plus, you likely would’ve heard rumblings about it by now. Sometimes, those juicy bits of information are difficult to keep in-house.
We’re all for it, though. New uniforms are always cool. Some folks despise the alternate gold jerseys that are on sale, but we’d like the Vikings to wear those once per year — just to switch things up.
A: Indeed, the reports of Rodgers’ request for $50 million seem to be defunct.
However, if Rodgers did grab that obscene figure, Cousins would plop into the $40 million per season conversation. Salary caps always rise, and so do quarterback salaries. But $40 million is too rich for the Vikings and Cousins. They couldn’t get deep in the postseason with Cousins at $33 million annually — an extra $7 million isn’t a healthy mix for re-reaching the playoffs.
So, if you want Cousins back at a reasonable figure, cheer for Rodgers not to break the bank.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. 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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