The Minnesota Vikings‘ decision to move on from Kirk Cousins this past offseason was a tough call.
The decision to sign Sam Darnold as part of the moving-on process was a great call.
At least, that’s how it looks after an eventful offseason for the Vikings’ front office and a perfect 2-0 start for the football team.
Here’s a closer look at the Vikings’ franchise-altering decision this offseason.
Vikings Held Firm, Cousins Didn’t Budge
As most breakups between a franchise and the franchise quarterback go, the divorce between the Vikings and Kirk Cousins was amicable.
While the Cousins water cooler talk proved divisive among the public in Minnesota, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell made sure the organization was earnest in its pursuit of a resolution with Cousins.
Cousins was nothing but an ideal representative of the organization, something Adofo-Mensah weighed in player acquisition efforts, and he was a sharp operator within the offense, something O’Connell is keen to observe.
In 25 games as O’Connell’s starter, Cousins completed 67% of his passes and threw 47 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions.
As gaudy as Cousins’ statistics could be, though, the market for his services and the strain it puts on team builders, such as Adofo-Mensah, can be overbearing. Tasked with managing every position on the roster, Adofo-Mensah had to analyze the cost-benefit analysis of having Cousins on the team and on the books.
Ultimately, the Vikings passed on the proposition of breaking the bank yet again for Cousins. The Atlanta Falcons swooped in, offering the veteran passer a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed and $50 million due at signing.
Atlanta moved onto Cousins. Minnesota moved onto the future.
Sam Darnold Proving the Future Is Now for Vikings
The plot twist in this story is Sam Darnold.
The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal the same day as Atlanta signed Cousins. While it was assumed the Vikings would turn their eye toward the draft in an effort to replace Cousins, the organization felt it was prudent to support the roster with a veteran hand at the game’s most important position in the event the draft didn’t produce an immediate starter.
While it’s only been two games, one would be hard-pressed to find a craftier move from the 2024 offseason. The Vikings are 2-0 and Darnold is a big reason why. He has completed 72.0% of his passes with four touchdowns against just two interceptions, good for a passer rating of 111.8.
Granted, the 27-year-old has one of the league’s premier playmakers helping him in receiver Justin Jefferson, who just last week hauled in a perfectly-lofted toss from Darnold and took it to the end zone for a 97-yard score. But Darnold has been solid when throwing to his other targets, as well.
Sam Darnold through 2 weeks in Minnesota:
2nd most passing touchdowns
2nd highest big time throw rate
3rd most big time throws
3rd highest yards per attempt
3rd highest completion % above expected
3rd highest PFF passing grade
4th highest overall PFF grade
5th highest NFL passer… pic.twitter.com/BPJ11MN4yL— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) September 16, 2024
Jefferson has accounted for 40.3% of Darnold’s passing yards so far this season, but Darnold has been efficient when looking elsewhere, too, with an 82.4% completion rate when targeting anyone else.
It all adds up to exactly the kind of operation O’Connell expects from his offense.
Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel Kickstart Vikings’ Defense
Darnold was not the only difference-making free agent signing the Vikings were able to close on with Cousins’ contract no longer on the books. Not even close.
Minnesota was one of the most active teams in free agency, restocking its pass rush and tweaking key personnel at inside linebacker and at cornerback.
Edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were centerpiece signings, inside linebacker Blake Cashman was brought on to team up with youngster Ivan Pace Jr. to solidify the middle of the defense, and veteran cornerback Shaq Griffin was tabbed to bring leadership to what was then an otherwise inexperienced position group.
Free agent signings weren’t the only source of activity for the Vikings during the offseason. Re-signings also served as milestones in the buildup to the 2024 season, with deals for Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw consummated before training camp.
Would all or even most of these signings have been possible with another mega deal for Cousins also hitting the salary cap? Probably not.
Would the Vikings’ 2-0 start have happened without the aforementioned free agent signings on defense? Almost assuredly not.
Could be more activity tonight, but for now, day one of free agency for the #Vikings:
Added:
– OLB Jonathan Greenard (4/$76M)
– OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (2/$20M)
– ILB Blake Cashman (3/$22.5M)Lost:
– QB Kirk Cousins (ATL, 4/$180M)
– OLB Marcus Davenport (DET, 1/$6.5M)Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/TOehAN4BE4
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) March 11, 2024
Adofo-Mensah’s cost-benefit analysis is checking out, and O’Connell and his staff’s coaching job now has the rest of the league checking in on what’s going on in Minnesota.
Cousins’ Departure Opened the Door for a New Era With J.J. McCarthy As the Vikings’ Future
From a long-term standpoint, moving on from Cousins also opened the Vikings up to the idea of finding their next franchise quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As well as Cousins performed in his role for the Vikings, this current campaign is the veteran’s age-36 season. Plus, Cousins was coming off an Achilles tear that ended his 2023. Additionally, the 2024 draft class was full of intriguing prospects, from USC’s Caleb Williams to LSU’s Jayden Daniels all the way through Oregon’s Bo Nix.
The Vikings eyed J.J. McCarthy often during the process, though, and when he was still available as the Jets were on the clock at pick No. 10, Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell made their move.
The Vikings traded up one spot to nab McCarthy, completing a two-part countermove to Atlanta’s signing of Cousins that had NFL observers intrigued and one expert in particular excited about the team’s future at the quarterback position.
McCarthy represents the Vikings’ future at quarterback. Darnold is the here and now.
But both represent a cost-effective alternative to Cousins at a crucial time for the organization as it looks to retain its core group of players and explore free agency for additional game changers.