Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings hoped they’d found an answer to their QB woes in Jaren Hall, but their faith in the rookie was misplaced.
Minnesota continues desperately searching for answers at the position, with the playoffs now a dubious proposition after losing at home by 23 points to the Green Bay Packers in what was essentially a must-win game on New Year’s Eve. The Vikings have dropped five of six contests under the starting trio of Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall, which leaves Kirk Cousins the only viable answer in free agency.
But Cousins will play next season at 36 years old and will be seeking a multiyear contract come March. Even at a discount, a new deal for him will cost the Vikings a substantial amount of money. If the season ended today, Minnesota would pick No. 12 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, per Tankathon, which almost certainly isn’t early enough to pick up any of the top three QB prospects — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, who could feasibly come off the board in the top three spots.
The Vikings will have to part with multiple valuable assets to trade up for one of those players, including the No. 12 overall selection. However, that draft pick could be enough to convince the Chicago Bears to part with quarterback Justin Fields if the team decides to use the No. 1 overall selection to draft its newest QB of the future.
Justin Fields Has Shown Flashes of Brilliance During 2nd Half of Season
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears runs the football during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons in December 2023.
Fields started off his third season poorly after entering 2023 with legitimate MVP hype. He hit rock bottom when he suffered a dislocated thumb against the Vikings in Week 6, forcing him to the sideline for several games.
However, when Fields returned to the gridiron on November 19, his playmaking returned with him. Chicago is 4-2 over that span and could be 6-0 save for two blown fourth-quarter leads on the road against playoff teams in the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, which were as much or more about the Bears’ defense than anything Fields did or didn’t do.
Fields still has plenty of work ahead of him as a passer, completing 61% of his 354 attempts across 12 starts this season for 2,414 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. However, the QB is lethal with his legs, rushing 630 yards for 4 TDs in 2023. He nearly broke the all-time record for rushing at the position last year with 1,143 yards and 8 scores in 15 games played, per Pro Football Reference.
The Vikings were at least somewhat interested in former San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance last offseason, and Fields is a better version of Lance with vastly more NFL experience. He offers head coach Kevin O’Connell a versatile option at the game’s most important position and fits the timeline of the Vikings’ top skill players — namely All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson.
Jaren Hall Doesn’t Look Like Long-Term Answer for Vikings
GettyQuarterback Jaren Hall of the Minnesota Vikings leaves the field after a 33-10 loss against the Green Bay Packers in December 2023.
Fields has played his way back into solid first-round trade value and offers the Vikings a better considerably better alternative to Hall, a fifth-round pick in 2023. He does not possess the type of downfield accuracy that Cousins can offer Minnesota, but he does have the physical tools to get there under O’Connell’s tutelage.
Fields also offers Minnesota a potential long-term solution under, while the injured Cousins can give them two or three more years at most. Fields is also entering the final season of his four-year, $19 million rookie contract in 2024, which will make him considerably cheaper than Cousins next season. Cousins will hit free agency in March but earned $35 million for his services in 2023.
If the Vikings were to deal for Fields, they would also trade for the right to exercise a fifth-year team option for the 2025 campaign, which would keep the QB on cost-controlled contracts while Minnesota revamps its roster over the next two years.
Fields would also alleviate the team’s lack of options under center, which remains a major issue as the Vikings head into Week 18 with a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs, per ESPN’s Pro Football Power Index.
“We’re going to take a look at it,” O’Connell said of who will start against the Lions on January 7. “The decision we’ll make will be based upon that position putting our group in a place to try to move the football and have success. We did not do that tonight. We’ll take a look at it, and all options are on the table.”