A loss in Detroit Sunday ended the Viking season with a 7-10 record, a disappointing outcome for a team coming off a 13-win season in 2022. But injuries, especially to their starting quarterback, derailed Minnesota and now the attention will turn to the offseason with some major questions to answer.
The emotion of a frustrating season prompted Nick Mullens to take a deep breath before answering a question after the game on Sunday.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “This sucks.”
Yes Nick, it sure does. When your main rival wins to make the playoffs behind a young and getting better by the week quarterback, while you head to an offseason not knowing who your QB will be? It's a problem.
While some fans are already speculating if this means trouble for head coach Kevin O'Connell, you can forget that. Despite the issues faced by the Vikings this season, much of it is due to injuries and O'Connell along with GM Kwesi-Adofo Mensah are in this for the long-haul.
"Year two, you weren't able to be as successful as year one, but I would be beyond shocked if he was let go," says WCCO's Henry Lake talking to Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News Monday.
“We have to evaluate every facet of how we put things together,” O'Connell said. “These two years couldn’t have any more different, and we have to look at each and every reason — the adversity, the injuries, the inconsistency. All of it.”
The Viking braintrust does have some big time issues to sort out. Here are a few questions to ask as the Purple offseason begins.
#1- WHO IS UNDER CENTER?
Who is the Quarterback is by far the biggest question facing the Vikings.
Kirk Cousins is a free agent and coming off a torn Achilles. While he will certainly be ready for the 2024 season physically, the Vikings need to decide if they're going to pony up big dollars for him yet again. The struggles of Nick Mullens, Josh Dobbs and rookie Jaren Hall might lead you to believe the Vikings are just going to pay Cousins anything to be back, but not so fast.
"Of course not, we're not doing that with a 35-year old quarterback, coming off of a torn Achilles," says Lake. "He doesn't get a blank check. I wouldn't mind Kirk Cousins coming back but if the option is he is controlling everything about how much he gets paid? No."
No, Dobbs or Mullens are not answers for this team either. Mullens is an interception machine. Dobbs, despite moments where you thought he might lead the Vikings to the playoffs, leveled off quickly and it became quickly clear why he has bounced around the league as a backup.
"Neither one of those guys are starting quarterbacks," explains Lake. "They have the 11th overall pick in the draft. We'll see who kind of comes up in the draft, who people like, who starts to slide in the draft. Of those options, none of those are good. But if I have to pick one I'd go for drafting a quarterback."
Cousins won over the fanbase and was revered by his teammates. But when you look at the facts, six years and one playoff win my not be worth it for the price it is going to cost. There just appears to be a ceiling for the franchise under Cousins. That might mean turmoil next year, but a brighter future.
“We can’t sit back and say ‘Well, we didn’t have Kirk, so this is what happens,’” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We have to take a really hard look at what happens when we don’t have our starting quarterback. We need to adjust better and play a little bit more complementary football.”
Speaking of the Packers, it sure seems like they've figured out the quarterback again while Minnesota is faced with another offseason wondering what to do.
"The number one thing that disappointed me, outside of the actual loss, the Packers have it figured out with their quarterback situation," says Lake. "We don't. Clearly Kirk Cousins, that'll be a conversation in the offseason about whether they're going to extend a new conversation to him, where he's at with his rehab."
Green Bay snuck into the playoffs after beating the Vikings and Bears to end their year and face the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday. The Vikings will be watching from home. They have to figure out the quarterback position.
"He's going to be 36 in training camp, he's coming off a major injury and surgery, and more than that he's going to cost the Vikings some serious money," says Brian Murphy of Bring Me The News. "$35 to $40 million it sounds like. Is he going to take a below market deal? I doubt it. He's got maximum leverage as he always has. Is he willing to take a two-year deal if the Vikings were to draft somebody, and develop a quarterback underneath him? Maybe. Not if there's three or four years and maybe more money on the table elsewhere. It may not come down to what the Vikings want. It comes down to what Kirk Cousins wants."
#2- ARE THEY DRAFTING A QB IN ROUND ONE?
It could very well be time to move on from Cousins and look for their next QB in the draft.
"The Vikings need to do that, they need to usher in a new era of this franchise, and if that means moving on from Kirk Cousins that would be the proven thing to do," says Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. "I think the best path forward for the Vikings, after what we just experienced the last three months, is moving on, bringing in a new, young kid, and have that kid hit the ground running with a really, really talented group of offensive weapons"
The Vikings did take a quarterback in last year's draft, but that was in the fifth round where you normally find backups or longshot projects. And while Jaren Hall, the rookie out of BYU might be an intriguing long term project, fans saw clearly in the Packer game last week he's nowhere near ready to be a franchise QB.
So do the Vikings look at the draft again, where they'll pick 11th overall in the first round? They're much more likely to find starting QB talent there and all signs point to a deep draft for quarterbacks. There are five names that have first round attached to them already. While there is plenty of offseason work to do to determine who is getting picked where, if Minnesota wants to pick a QB there should be options.
In fact, the two quarterbacks in Monday's national championship game, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. Michigan's JJ McCarthy, would likely be available when the Vikings pick. There are also some options deeper in the draft where the Vikings could take a player, sign Cousins or another experienced QB, and let them learn. In other words, they will have options to find the future in this year's draft.
"I think the Vikings are going to try and sign Kirk Cousins and draft a rookie quarterback in the first round," Mizutani told the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar. "Try and do both, live in the now and in the future."
#3- JUSTIN JEFFERSON'S CONTRACT
Speaking of offensive weapons, in four years we've seen Justin Jefferson become a generational talent. He's still under his rookie deal in 2024 but the Vikings know they need to get an extension done with Jefferson prior to him becoming a free agent. They tried and failed prior to the 2023 season, but now there will be urgency to get it done.
Despite missing seven games with a pulled hamstring, Jefferson still managed to become the fifth wide receiver in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons. That list includes Mike Evans, Michael Thomas, A.J. Green and Randy Moss. He's also just the third receiver to ever reach 1,000 in 10 games or less.
"I think he proved his value even more," Murphy told WCCO's Adam and Jordana. "He's going to get paid and he should get paid. He's not able to walk away as a free agent, the Vikings do have the opportunity to maybe franchise him, keep his rights. That's a dicey thing to do. But it's not as if they're in danger of losing him."
He's a team captain and clearly an emotional leader for the Vikings as well. His effort in Sunday's game against Detroit spoke loudly to that. O'Connell allegedly tried to sit Jefferson at halftime to make sure he didn't get hurt, and Jefferson refused. He finished with 12 catches for 192 yards and a TD, doing all he could to keep Minnesota in the game.
"He's super competitive. I think when people see the blowups on the sideline they get nervous because there's no contract extension yet," says Mizutani. "But I think he wants to be in Minnesota, I think he loves his guys here, he's loved his time here. He's competitive though and he wants to win so you have to put a competitive team on the field."
He's due a major deal, probably the highest non-quarterback contract in the entire league. He's worth it too.
#4- DEFENSIVE DEPARTURES?
Every NFL team sees offseason changes. Free agency, salary cap casualties, new players coming in from the draft, etc. The Vikings have a couple of longtime defensive stalwarts that may have played their last game in Minnesota however. One via retirement, one via free agency.
We'll start with safety Harrison Smith. The 35-year old hinted after Sunday's game he was thinking about hanging it up. He's one of the best defensive backs in Viking history and a leader for a secondary group filled with young, inexperienced players. His loss would be felt even if he isn't the physical presence he once was. He battled through some significant shoulder pain this season and it gets tougher to gear up for another year when your body isn't there anymore.
"Whenever I retire, I'm not going to tell you," Smith told the Star Tribune after Sunday's loss. "You'll figure it out. I'll say this. It's hard to have the ability to play and not have a desire to play. Whatever that gives you, I'm not trying to be ominous or anything. Right now, my shoulder hurts."
Even if he comes back, the Vikings would probably ask him to take a pay cut.
Then there's Danielle Hunter who is every bit a physical presence on the defensive line. He's coming off a career high 16.5 sacks and he's an unrestricted free agent who is sure to command big dollars. He's said he wants to stay in Minnesota, but the Vikings failed to lock him up long term the last two off seasons and it would be a surprise if they found the money to pay him this time.
Hunter would leave a gaping hole in the Viking pass rush.
Linebacker and defensive captain Jordan Hicks is also a pending free agent. He returned from a serious leg injury midseason and is another moving part for the team to figure out. Rookie Ivan Pace Jr. was a pleasant surprise filling in for Hicks and that might make him expendable.
#5- OTHER AREAS OF NEED
There was great improvement from the defense compared to 2022 behind coordinator Brian Flores and his blitz-heavy scheme. But there's still some talent issues with the Vikings who will have to address issues at cornerback and perhaps needing a new pass rusher to replace Hunter. They also could use interior defensive line help.
It is a yearly tradition, but the Vikings once again need some depth on the offensive line. They were really weak at the end of the year with Mullens getting hit repeatedly against Detroit, and despite stretches of solid play this year, they were at best inconsistent. Tackle Christian Darrisaw is going to be due a big contract extension like Jefferson.
K.J. Osborn will be a free agent which could open up the Vikings' number three wide receiver position. Osborn has had moments but has not been a consistent contributor. With Jefferson and Jordan Addison, plus tight end T.J. Hockenson who will be coming off an ACL tear, the Vikings will have weapons, so that need is not as great. Still, having a solid number three will make the job easier for whoever is the QB.
Alexander Mattison will be another one to watch, especially if the Vikings start to run into salary cap issues. Mattison will have the 14th highest cap hit for a running back in the entire league, and by the end of the year was backing up Ty Chandler who emerged as a more explosive option. The Vikings thought Mattison could slide into the Dalvin Cook role and paid him for it, but the team struggled mightily to run the ball consistently all year.
Chandler is going to be the lead back in 2024 and they might need to reevaluate Mattison's role and what they're paying him.