If Kirk Cousins is Gone, an NFC South QB Could be a Replacement Option

If you ask 100 people who the most polarizing person in the Minnesota Vikings organization is, 90 of them will probably say Kirk Cousins. The other 10 might say Mike Zimmer or Rick Spielman. After Sunday’s Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears, there’s a chance that all three of them are gone from Minnesota. There are some that have said Minnesota should draft a QB this offseason if Kirk Cousins is traded, but one NFC South QB should be kept in mind.

Before I fully get into this, I want to say that I am still of the mindset that Minnesota’s first goal in this situation should be attempting to extend Captain Kirk. That said, if he is not willing to take an extension and 2022 salary of $45 million (over 20% of the salary cap for 2022), the Vikings may be looking to package him somewhere else for some draft capital.

Because of that possibility, the Vikings need to be keeping their eyes open for potential suitors. One of these rebound QBs could be current New Orleans Saint, Jameis Winston. It may not do much to eliminate the issue of polarizing QBs in Minnesota, but it’s not a bad fit. Winston is set to hit free agency in the 2022 offseason, and after an ACL repairment surgery in November, he likely won’t come with a hefty price tag.

There’s still some bad juju surrounding Jameis Winston after his roller coaster ride of a 2019 season. As you probably recall, that year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he became the first quarterback in NFL history to have a 30 TD/30 INT season. He also became the 8th quarterback to pass for 5000 yards in a single season. At the conclusion of that year, he joined the Saints as a reserve behind Drew Brees and Taysom Hill.

Even though Winston will likely always be remembered for that 2019 season, he is a different quarterback. He can see now. But really, prior to his ACL injury against his former team in Week 8, Winston was having quite an impressive 2021 campaign. In six games and change, the Saints starter recorded 1170 yards, 14 TDs, and just three interceptions.

Of course, some of the credit for that season has to be given to offensive guru, Sean Payton. As much as Vikings fans hate his guts, the Saints head coach has found a way to keep that team competitive through a number of adversities in 2021. However, Winston clearly learned a lot from his year behind Drew Brees, and he really did look more like the type of game-manager that New Orleans needed when they went 5-2 with him.

Winston had a very good half-season in New Orleans as a starter, and that was without a proven WR1 in the lineup. Can you imagine what could happen if you put him in an offense with Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, etc.? He’s certainly not as efficient as Kirk Cousins, but there were times when the Vikings could have used a gunslinger that was willing to just say “Eff it, JJ is down there somewhere”. Not just that, but can you imagine the choreography potential between Jefferson and Winston when they connect for a 50-yard TD? Even a torn ACL couldn’t stop Jameis from breaking out dance moves after the Saints win over Tampa Bay.

Finally, Winston seems to be progressing from his surgery very well. He actually got good news immediately following the surgery back in November. Initially, it was supposed to be a surgery to repair both his ACL and MCL, but Winston’s surgeon deemed the MCL healthy enough to heal on its own. Six weeks later, the physical therapy results look quite promising already.

The biggest problem with Winston will be prying him away from New Orleans. They were the only team willing to give him a chance after Tampa Bay, and he may feel an extensive amount of loyalty towards that franchise. Stop me if you’ve heard this before though, the New Orleans Saints once again find themselves in salary cap hell. They are projected to be $60+ million over the 2022 salary cap, and they are going to have to make some money decisions. If one of those happen to be Winston, the Vikings need to think long and hard about picking him up.

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