The Other Man Likely to Quarterback the Vikings in 2022 Will Surprise You

The Other Man Likely to Quarterback the Vikings in 2022 Will Surprise You
Kirk Cousins and Rusell Wilson

How would you react if your phone buzzed next week, breaking the news as Russell Wilson for the next quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings?

It’s a real possibility, according to oddsmakers. And generally, oddsmakers do not operate in whimsical, silly spheres. If Vegas odds are reasonable about a team, player, or prop bet, substantiation usually exists.

Per Bookies.com, Russell Wilson is indeed the second-most-likely man to be the Vikings QB1 in September. Of course, Kirk Cousins, the incumbent, is the odds-on favorite, mainly because the new leadership regime sounds committed to Cousins.

However, if new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Cousins’ agent cannot agree to likeminded contract extension, all bets are off, and Cousins could land elsewhere.

And if that does occur, Bookies.com believes Wilson would head to Minnesota, whereas Cousins would presumably lead the Seattle Seahawks.

These are the odds for the Vikings Week 1 quarterback in 2022, per Bookies:

Kirk Cousins: -400
Russell Wilson: +550
Derek Carr: +700
Baker Mayfield: +950
Jimmy Garoppolo: +3000
Any Rookie QB: +3800
Kellen Mond: +4000

The astounding part about the Bookies odds? It’s not necessarily Wilson in purple — although that is pretty outlandish — it’s the low odds of Minnesota pivoting to a rookie if Cousins is traded. Heading into the 2022 offseason, the idea was to extend Cousins with the new Ramsian leadership or trade him to the highest bidder, spurring into motion a new era with a rookie quarterback. But the Wilson insertion changes those theories.

Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson

Wilson is a Viking killer, as his Seahawks beat the Vikings seven straight times to start his career. In 2021, Minnesota finally topped Wilson’s Seahawks at U.S. Bank Stadium, ending a horrendous streak against the Seahawks — of which most games transpired at Lumen Field.

Recently, the Seahawks reportedly turned down a deal from the Washington Commanders for Wilson.

The deal was thought to involve multiple 1st-Round picks, a mid-rounder, and a veteran player. So, if this Wilson-to-Vikings deal was semi-real, Minnesota must serve up oodles of draft capital — which might actually be worth it for the 33-year-old Wilson. A trade arrangement for Wilson and the Vikings would likely call for Cousins, two 1st-Rounders, and a 3rd-Rounder or so. Anything more than that would probably be reckless for a quarterback in his mid-30s.

Trade talks and ideas like these, on the whole in the NFL, will heat up this week as free agency is one week away.

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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