Getty
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Howell.
The Minnesota Vikings will begin welcoming quarterbacks and rookies into training camp exactly one month from today, and meaningful roster moves could be soon to follow.
Judd Zulgad and Phil Mackey discussed on the Friday, June 20 edition of the SKOR North podcast whether Minnesota might still make a trade or free-agent signing of import ahead of the regular season, which begins for the Vikings on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 8.
Zulgad said he doesn’t expect a move prior to training camp, which will be fully staffed by July 22. However, depending on how things go at the quarterback position, Minnesota could lean into movement sooner than later.
“I think training camp will dictate some things,” Zulgad said. “I’ll go back to Sam Howell. If Sam Howell craps out in training camp, I don’t know that they’re going to just sort of hold their breath and hope that J.J. [McCarthy] does not get hurt.”
Minnesota essentially executed a pick swap with the Seattle Seahawks, dropping 30 spots from No. 142 in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft down to No. 172 and getting Howell back in return. Considering that was all the Vikings gave up for a QB with 22 TDs and 23 INTs on the cusp of his fourth professional season, he’s going to have to prove he’s a viable back up option behind McCarthy.
McCarthy is also going to have to prove that Minnesota doesn’t need to worry about who will be its QB1 down the stretch, assuming he can actually remain healthy.
Considering all of that, and the fact that the Atlanta Falcons continue to shop former Vikings starter Kirk Cousins, Minnesota remains a viable trade partner until McCarthy and Howell slam that door shut.
Kirk Cousins Probably Best QB2 Fit Behind J.J. McCarthy Currently Available Across NFL
GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins left Minnesota ahead of the 2024 campaign after six years as the starter, which included three trips to the Pro Bowl, two trips to the playoffs, north of 23,000 passing yards and 171 TD tosses.
He did so knowing the team planned to draft a signal caller in a deep QB class and because Atlanta offered him $180 million, $100 million of which the Falcons guaranteed. However, Atlanta only owes Cousins $27.5 million more this season and is willing to move him for a moderate draft asset to a team willing to pick up just a portion of that salary — perhaps as little as $10 million in 2025.
Cousins knows head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, having played under him for a year and a half. He ran it to the tune of 4,547 passing yards, 29 TDs and 14 INTs in 2022 — a season Cousins finished in the Pro Bowl and one the Vikings finished in the playoffs.
Vikings Tried to Retain Veteran QB With Knowledge of Offense to Back Up J.J. McCarthy in 2025
GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
Minnesota wanted to bring back Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones on a one-year contract this offseason to have a knowledgeable and experienced veteran behind McCarthy, but both got better offers and chances to start elsewhere.
Cousins will turn 37 years old in August and isn’t a longterm threat to McCarthy’s job security, though he would likely serve as a far more reliable insurance policy to the 22-year-old starter than Howell ever could.
All of that renders Cousins as the best possible candidate — of those currently on the market — to serve as QB2 behind McCarthy, which led to multiple ESPN reporters authoring trade pitches reuniting Cousins with the Vikings earlier this month.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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