Vikings, Deshaun Watson Rumors Take Detour
For starters, here is the etymology of rumors involving Deshaun Watson and the Minnesota Vikings.
In January, it was Jordan Schultz, an NFL and NBA Insider, who suggested the Vikings were “sleepers” in the Deshaun Watson Sweepstakes.
Then this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler opined the Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccanneers were spots Watson would prefer to land when eventually traded. For about one year, Watson has made it clear he wants out of Houston, even though his career is temporarily paused due to sexual misconduct allegations from 22 massage therapists.
So, twice in successive months, the Watson rumor mill rippled. Some Vikings fans ran with it, dreaming of the possibilities with Watson and new Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell paired for the new-look franchise.
In the immediacy of Watson rumors this week, VikingsTerritory explained why the whole ordeal is unlikely to reach fruition. Minnesota is emphasizing culture and a fresh start, and teams that do that typically avoid alleged sexual offenders. In theory, if Watson was the victim of an unprecedented hoax — that feels like a longshot right now — then the rumors would have legs.
And a tweet from Josina Anderson on Thursday brought the realism of Watson-to-Minnesota back to earth.
This is more like it, at least from a Vikings standpoint. Fresh starts with self-pronounced “collaborative cultures” rarely fantasize about entanglements with risky personalities. It isn’t even a certainty Watson plays in 2022 — or ever again — depending on the results of his legal proceedings. Plus, the Vikings ownership does not have a long track record of auditioning questionable characters. Before the Wilfs took over the Vikings, leniency was extended to questionable behaviors — go review the mid-2000s — but this brand of ownership remains committed to the up-and-up.
Instead, based on commentary from Kevin O’Connell this week, Minnesota plans to build an offense around current quarterback Kirk Cousins. O’Connell and Cousins worked together for the Washington Commanders in 2017, and now the two are likely to pair again with the 2022 Vikings. First, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah must reach a new contractual agreement with Cousins, who is scheduled to debit the Vikings salary cap for $45 million this season. A controversial figure, Cousins isn’t worth a $45 million cap hit — a number reserved for the Top-3-or-so quarterbacks in the world.
You know, ones like Deshaun Watson. Unfortunately, Watson isn’t worth the gamble, and the Vikings probably aren’t interested anyway.
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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