The Minnesota Vikings are on a revamp after firing general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer.
Taking their places are Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell.
O’Connell will bring his wisdom on offense, especially after winning Super Bowl LVI as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator.
His presence should elevate that side of the ball, given that they have explosive players like Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson.
As for the quarterback position, there’s no finality yet if Kirk Cousins will remain as their starter.
Furthermore, this quote from O’Connell makes the Vikings’ decision unknown at the moment.
New #Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell on Kirk Cousins and if he's the QB: "I know he’s under contract and I’m excited to coach him. I've already started thinking about how we're going to build those sytems for him. … I’m anticipating Kirk being a part of what we do."
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 17, 2022
In the tweet by Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov, O’Connell said, “I know he’s under contract and I’m excited to coach him. I’ve already started thinking about how we’re going to build those systems for him. …I’m anticipating Kirk being a part of what we do.”
Cousins still has one year left on his contract with the Vikings which will earn him a base salary of $35 million.
However, he’s also seeking an extension with the team that should be of a higher annual rate than his 2022 base.
He does have leverage in negotiating such a contract after finishing with 4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 2021.
Vikings Shopping For Another Quarterback?
Perhaps O’Connell is not giving a definite answer because Adofo-Mensah is exploring their options at the position.
They’re shopping Cousins to see if there are any takers, which might be difficult given his $45 million cap hit.
Likewise, Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson reportedly declared the Vikings as one of the two teams on his radar.
That scenario means that the 2020 passing yards leader would waive his no-trade clause if the Houston Texans can negotiate a deal with Minnesota.
O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah might also be looking at other free-agent quarterbacks like Jameis Winston or Jimmy Garoppolo.
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