The backup quarterback situation is the biggest storyline surrounding the Minnesota Vikings leading up to the NFL Draft. The quarterback depth chart is currently last year's 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy and journeyman veteran Brett Rypien.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been very calculated about how they have navigated the free agency process with a focus on compensatory selections. That has ended up pushing the backup quarterback spot to the back burner. The lack of a backup quarterback has fans talking about different options with one which continues to come up.
Kirk Cousins is a bad idea for Vikings backup QB
The more popular option for the Vikings as their backup quarterback is Kirk Cousins. The former Vikings signal caller who started for six years is currently in limbo with the Atlanta Falcons.
After signing a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons last year, Cousins was benched after a disastrous stretch at the end of the season for their first round pick Michael Penix Jr. He still had a fully guaranteed salary of $27.5 million this season and $10 million fully guaranteed for 2026. The Falcons could have moved on from Cousins before the $10 million fully vested, but they held firm and didn't make a move.
There are two reasons why the move wasn't made right away: the Falcons are going to eat an insane amount of dead money anyway and Cousins has a no-trade clause. He doesn't want a Penix situation to happen again.
That puts him into the conversation for the Vikings who both need a backup quarterback and have a familiarity with the coaching staff. Cousins had his best seasons with head coach Kevin O'Connell and was trending toward a potential Most Valuable Player conversation. There is one problem with the Vikings bringing back Cousins.
It would be bad for McCarthy.
Let's put it simply. The Vikings just chose to move on from Cousins, who was a heavily controversial figure when he was with the team. Seemingly half of the fanbase loved him like a deity and the other half couldn't wait for him to be gone. Having him back on the team could be good for McCarthy for developing purposes, but having him on the roster would be more of a detriment.
The second McCarthy ended up having a stretch of struggles with an interception or two would bring discussion of sitting him for Cousins, which would lead to a PR nightmare. That is not conducive to instilling confidence in McCarthy.
Now, none of this actually takes into account what Cousins is as a player. Honestly, his current ability is perfect for a backup quarterback, but the added layer cancels that out to an extent. It might seem like a good idea, but this is real life, not Madden. It would behoove the Vikings to avoid him at all costs, especially since it could easily create off-the-field issues.
