NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Minnesota Vikings were put in a position to think about their future well before they were ready to thanks to the season-ending injury to QB Kirk Cousins. Now, the Vikings must deal with the possibility that Cousins may not return in time for the start of next season.
If so, that changes everything. Now they must find a suitable replacement. They still must work out a long-term deal with their star wideout Justin Jefferson. The understanding is that Jefferson is truly a Cousins supporter. If the Vikings decide that it’s time to part ways with Kirk, where does that leave Jefferson and the team going forward? Which direction will the Vikings go in?
In all fairness, they must act now and act fast. The trade deadline came and went and the Minnesota Vikings decided to stand pat and not reach for a quality QB. Instead, they made a deal with the Arizona Cardinals for Joshua Dobbs. He’s not the answer. While Dobbs did shine bright in the Vikings’ win against the Atlanta Falcons, nothing about him says, he’s the long-term answer. It still makes you wonder why the Vikings went that route.
Sitting at 5-4 on the season, the Minnesota Vikings are still very much in the playoff picture. Even with the absence of Jefferson, the Vikings managed to reel off 4 straight wins. The momentum is there and now, it’s as if they going to watch it all blow up in their face. Should they be thinking about tanking?
Should The Minnesota Vikings Tank Or Not
There is still no timetable on when Jefferson is expected back. Each week there are whispers but according to reports, he’s just not ready yet. Should they rush him or let him sit out the remainder of the season and come back fully healthy next year? The Cousins’ injury hurt for this season but playing around with Jefferson’s health could cause them grief for years to come.
As much heat as Cousins has taken over his career, his numbers are up there with some of the top QBs over the years. There are rumblings that the Minnesota Vikings still want to reward Cousins with a new 2-year deal despite his current injury. If that’s true, that should elevate some of the tension with Jefferson and his new deal.
Another area of concern is their RB situation. Alexander Mattison was slated to be the guy after the departure of Dalvin Cook but he has struggled. The Vikings added Cam Akers but he wet down with a season-ending injury as well. While they are still finding ways to win, a Cinderella Story like this does have an expiration date. At some point, hard decisions must be made for the future and not for morale.
For now, they must decide if this season is worth saving or if are they looking to see what they have and go from there. All is not lost. But they must figure it out quickly. As it stands now heading into Week 10, the Minnesota Vikings are sitting around the 18th-21st pick in the Draft. If Dobbs is not the guy and the Cousins gas a setback in his recovery, or they can’t reach a new deal, then what?
