After just two weeks with his new team, Josh Dobbs seemed to have established himself as the starting quarterback of the future for the Minnesota Vikings.
However, Dobbs’ slide has caused Minnesota to warm up to considering other alternatives again, like re-signing Kirk Cousins, after tumbling back to earth and turning the ball over six times in two straight losses prior to the Vikings’ Week 13 bye.
The Vikings’ quarterback position was explored by ESPN insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano after Kevin O’Connell stated he is thinking about benching Dobbs following his four interceptions in Monday, November 27’s 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Will Minnesota get through the season with a mix of Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall and just say, forget it, let’s throw Cousins the bag and run it back,” Fowler asked Graziano in a November 29 column.
“That’s absolutely on the table. Cousins likes it in Minnesota, and the Vikings won’t have a high enough draft pick to take one of the truly elite prospects,” Graziano answered, considering Minnesota has shown the intention to compete even after playing much of the season without Cousins or Justin Jefferson, who will return in Week 14.
In a column published on November 29, Fowler questioned Graziano, “Will Minnesota get through the season with a mix of Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall and just say, forget it, let’s throw Cousins the bag and run it back?”
That is definitely up for discussion. Graziano responded, “Cousins likes it in Minnesota, and the Vikings won’t have a high enough draft pick to take one of the truly elite prospects,” taking into account that Minnesota has demonstrated a desire to contend even after missing out on Cousins and Justin Jefferson for a significant portion of the season. Jefferson is expected to return in Week 14.
Also, the Vikings can and should anticipate contending rather than rebuilding, as demonstrated by head coach Kevin O’Connell’s first two seasons in Minnesota. I was mistaken about them. They have survived the injuries that have claimed the lives of Cousins and Justin Jefferson to remain in the race, which surprised me since I had assumed that this season would be about determining who was and wasn’t a part of the future. Bravo to them,” Graziano continued.
Some of the limitations that Cousins had to overcome to lead the Vikings over the previous three seasons have been made up for by a developing defense under Brian Flores and a capable offensive front.
Considering that the Vikings’ squad is closer to contention than originally believed before the start of the 2023 season, Graziano isn’t willing to rule out the possibility that Cousins may sign with them again.
“They have a wide range of quarterback options for the upcoming offseason, so it’s possible they decide to move on from Cousins to another quarterback,” Graziano stated. However, he gets along well with the team, so I wouldn’t rule out a reunion. You just know that he won’t be available for cheap.