Vikings Must Address No. 2 QB Slot To Avoid Disaster In 2023

The Vikings have quite a few problems that they must address in the offseason, and the most obvious among them is the defense. If the Vikings believe that the addition of Brian Flores as defensive coordinator is enough to improve that unit they are sadly mistaken.

The defensive issues have been going on for years, as the team has been pitiful on that side of the ball for three seasons. Improved personnel is required for Flores to deliver an aggressive defense that can win games for the Vikings. Oh, for the return of the Purple People Eaters. Now that was a defense.

But that is not the only issue with the team, as all long-time followers of the Vikings know. The obvious issues are the offensive line, the No. 2 receiver slot to Justin Jefferson and what to do with Dalvin Cook.

However, it’s the quarterback situation that must be addressed. No, the issue is not Kirk Cousins and the starting quarterback position. The issue is the No. 2 quarterback spot.

Quite simply, the Vikings do not have a backup quarterback, and this is a gamble they can no longer afford to take. When the 2022 season came to an end, the only backup quarterback on the roster was Nick Mullens, and he is now a free agent.

Mullens has a 5-12 record as a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns. He came to the Vikings before the start of the 2022 season, and all he had to do was stand on the sidelines with a clipboard. He earned $1.25 million last season.

Mullens had a chance to play in four games last season, but none of those appearances had any kind of significance. Cousins may have notable flaws as a quarterback, but one of them is not durability.

Cousins and his $36 million cap hit knows how to remain in the lineup. He is an 11-year NFL veteran and the last five have been with the Vikings after playing the first six years in Washington.

Cousins has started 80 of 82 games during his run with the Vikings. He simply never gets hurt, so that has allowed the Vikings to get by with a bargain basement backup quarterback.

However, this is the NFL, and playing quarterback is the equivalent of walking across six-lane highway on an every-week basis. It’s not exactly a great thing to do if long-term health is your goal.

That’s why the Vikings have to address the backup quarterback position. The last time they had a legitimate backup quarterback was the 2017 season, and it was a magical year.

The Vikings were 13-3 in the regular season and won the NFC North title. Sam Bradford was the starting quarterback in Week 1, but he simply could not stay healthy. Case Keenum had to take over by Week 2, and while nobody confused him with an All-Pro, he was a perfect fit for the team.

He co-authored perhaps the team’s best moment in the last 20 years of the team’s history with his throw to Stefon Diggs in the Minneapolis Miracle that gave the Vikings a 29-24 win over the New Orleans Saints in the divisional playoffs.

The season was not over when the starting quarterback went down in 2017; the season actually took off with the backup quarterback under center.

The Vikings can’t go into the 2023 season without a legitimate backup quarterback who can play multiple games if Cousins gets hurt. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are too smart to do that.

Obviously, this is an expensive proposition, especially for a team that is nearly $20 million over the salary cap.

The belief here is that the Vikings need to target Jacoby Brissett as the ideal backup quarterback for this team. Brissett is not a cheap option, as he had a cap hit of $4.65 million with the Cleveland Browns last season. Brissett is a 30-year-old quarterback who has started 48 games during his seven-year career with the Patriots, Colts, Dolphins and Browns.

Brissett understands how defenses are going to come after him. He will find the open receiver, deliver the ball accurately and keep his team in the game.

He started 11 games for the Browns last season before the return of Deshaun Watson, and he completed 236 of 369 passes for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also ran for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.

The Vikings need a backup quarterback who will not panic when he is forced into action. Brissett is that quarterback.

He is not a cheap option, but he just may save the Vikings next season.