Aug 19, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall (16) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings have been without starting QB Kirk Cousins for about two months now.
Since they lost Cousins to a torn Achilles, the Vikings have gone 3-4 and have switched starting quarterbacks three separate times. This weekend, Minnesota will make their fourth switch at the position and ride with rookie QB Jaren Hall. While it may be an unexpected decision for some, the Vikings made the right call with this move.
The Vikings are in a situation where they need to find out what they truly have in their young quarterback before the 2024 offseason arrives. Cousins is set to enter free agency during the offseason, and while many would like to see the veteran return next year, it is far from guaranteed at this point.
Even if Cousins were to return to the Vikings next year, all that would mean is that the Vikings are going another year without truly knowing what they have for the future at the quarterback spot. By starting Hall in some stress-filled games here at the conclusion of the season, Minnesota is making an attempt to see what they already have in-house before potentially taking a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The decision comes with very little to lose, too, as there are two different outcomes that could come as a result of this experiment. The Vikings will either beat the rival Packers and keep their playoff hopes alive while also crowning Hall as the slayer of Green Bay, or they will lose, be eliminated from playoff contention, and improve their position in next spring’s draft.
The Vikings currently hold the No. 15 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and if they were to lose this weekend, it could boost them into the top 10.
Hall made his first career regular season appearance in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers following Cousins’ injury, and now, the rookie gets another opportunity against the division rival. In that first game, he completed three of his four passes for 23 yards.
A week later, Hall got his first NFL start against the Atlanta Falcons, but it would be short-lived. After completing five of his six passes for 78 yards, he attempted to scramble towards the end zone but was met by a Falcons defender and suffered a hit to the head that resulted in a concussion.
What we’ve seen from Hall in these two games has been far more positive than negative, but the sample size remains extremely small. At some point, we need to get full games of evidence from the rookie QB to see exactly what he can bring to the table for this team.
The 25-year-old rookie will begin laying out his case on Sunday, December 31st at 7:20 PM Central when the Vikings host those Packers on New Year’s Eve night.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.