The Time Is Now if Vikings Want Controversial QB
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings’ QB1 plans are totally up in the air as of March 6th, just five days before the start of free agency.
If Vikings and Russell Wilson Theories Are True, It’s Time.
The franchise could re-sign incumbent quarterback Kirk Cousins or let him test the NFL’s marketplace. If Cousins leaves, Minnesota will showcase its first new starting quarterback in seven years.
And because the Vikings have so much mystery at quarterback, virtually every would-be available passer has been tied to Minnesota at some point this offseason. Everyone has a theory, whether a free agent, a rookie, a trade, or more Cousins.
Few have been as loud as the Russell Wilson rumor mill, though. The Denver Broncos dropped the veteran earlier this week, swallowing an unholy $85 million in dead cap over the next two years to move on from Wilson, and before too long, he’ll latch on somewhere as a QB1 or QB2. And according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilson’s journey to find a new employer can begin now.
Schefter tweeted Wednesday morning, “Before free agency begins next week, the Broncos have given soon-to-be-released quarterback Russell Wilson permission to immediately begin speaking and meeting with other teams in their home cities, per sources. Wilson’s free agency begins now.”
It is unclear if the Vikings will actually meet with Wilson or if the weeks-long theories were only speculative. We shall see.
Wilson recorded 26 touchdown passes to 8 interceptions in 15 starts last season, while Denver banked a 7-8 record on his watch. In December, the Vikings were the odds-on favorite to land Wilson, according to BetOnline.ag. Those odds have since tapered off, but Vegas started Wilson-to-Vikings fodder a few months ago, and the rumor mill never really quieted.
One item regarding Wilson is certain: his next team can sign him for cheap because his Denver payday is ongoing. In fact, for some team, he’d be the perfect patchover quarterback to a rookie. His price tag likely won’t exceed a couple of million bucks.
In 2023, before getting benched, Wilson ranked 14th leaguewide per EPA+CPOE. For context, Kirk Cousins ranked fifth. During his first Broncos hurrah (2022), Wilson placed 27th via the same metric.
In January, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote about the Vikings’ prospects of signing Wilson, “League sources see several logical fits for Wilson, who could thrive in an offense that schemes clearly defined throws off play-action and the running game. Don’t be surprised if Wilson, should he become a free agent, is intrigued by Minnesota, assuming Kirk Cousins doesn’t re-sign with the Vikings (a big if).”
Wilson will turn 36 in November. He’s about three months younger than the aforementioned Cousins.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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