Vikings Urged to Replace Cousins With Former Super Bowl Champ

Getty Quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings have come out of nowhere to return to relevance and the same path might await whomever the team lands on to replace quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The Vikings can add a familiar player in Colt McCoy, who has a three-year history with head coach Kevin O’Connell from their days in Washington. Minnesota can choose pedigree by attempting to trade with the Tennessee Titans for Ryan Tannehill, a former Pro Bowler who led his team to the playoffs in three consecutive years between 2019-21. Or the franchise can make a high-risk, high-reward play by signing free agent Carson Wentz who finished third in MVP voting in 2017 and probably has the most talent of any available options.

And then there is Nick Foles, who took over for Wentz with the Philadelphia Eagles after the latter was hurt in 2017 and led that franchise to a Super Bowl win. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports on Monday, October 30, made the case for Minnesota signing the 34-year-old Foles via free agency.

“Foles has only really thrived when playing for the Eagles — it was his clutch arm, remember, that helped bury the Vikings in that 2017 NFC title game, which led to Philly’s first Super Bowl win,” Benjamin wrote. “But the guy is a passable pocket thrower when protected, and he’d be an easy sell in the locker room as a beloved teammate.”

Nick Foles Offers Vikings Even-Keel Game Manager at QB

GettyFormer Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Nick Foles (left) and Matt Ryan (right).

Foles has played in 71 games across his 11-year NFL career, starting 58 times and earning a record of 29-29, per Pro Football Reference. He has completed 62.4% of his 2,087 pass attempts, tallying 14,227 yards and 82 touchdowns compared to 47 interceptions.

The Eagles selected Foles in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He started 21 games in Philadelphia over his first three years in the league before landing with Los Angeles Rams (then based in St. Louis). He played one season with them and then joined the Kansas City Chiefs the next year.

Foles returned to Philadelphia in 2017 and played there for two more seasons before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars for one year and the Chicago Bears for the following two campaigns. He played with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and has not yet had a job with an NFL team during this regular season.

As far as the talent ceiling is concerned, Foles can’t match Wentz and would probably fall short of Tannehill as well. However, Foles is a seasoned game manager who has had playoff success at the highest level. The Vikings won’t need to trade any assets to acquire Foles and the quarterback should be as coachable, if not more so, than any of Minnesota’s other options.

Nick Foles Offers Vikings Affordable Option at Quarterback

GettyQuarterback Nick Foles, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts.

Another concern for Minnesota is the cost of whatever quarterback they decide bring in. Foles signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal in Indianapolis in 2022, which indicates he is willing to play on a standard backup QB salary.

Wentz and Tannehill each signed deals worth more than $100 million at some point over the last four years. Wentz is a free agent and may be willing to sign a moderate contract to get another shot at a starting job. However, if he was willing to play for just a few million, Wentz might already be on a roster.

Tannehill, on the other hand, is a player the Vikings can only acquire via trade. He is playing on the final season of a four-year, $118 million contract in Tennessee and represents an expensive option for Minnesota, which has just $7.5 million in available salary cap space.