Getty Quarterback Kirk Cousins talks with head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings have the space to get creative at the quarterback position and that’s exactly what fans should expect them to do this offseason.
Whether by way of a blockbuster trade or the NFL Draft, the franchise is likely to have its QB of the future in-house before training camp begins this summer. If a trade is the path the Vikings choose to take, one of the top candidates is Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers — a Minnesota native entering the third year of his NFL career in 2023.
What the Vikings can get back from the Niners in a deal for five-year starter Kirk Cousins depends on how confident San Francisco is in Brock Purdy, a seventh-round rookie in 2022 who led the team to the NFC Championship Game. Niners brass has supported Purdy publicly, saying he is the leader in the clubhouse for the starting job over Lance and the recently acquired Sam Darnold assuming all three are healthy.
But San Francisco may not be as sold on Purdy as their long-term option as recent comments seem to indicate, at least not based on the assessment of Austin Arnhold of SB Nation’s Daily Norseman who pitched a trade proposal on Thursday that would flip Cousins for Lance plus a whole lot more.
“Many speculate about the compensation the Vikings would get in return for shipping a (I’ll say it) top-10 quarterback in the league right now,” Arnhold wrote on April 6. “Give [Minnesota] Trey Lance, [the Niners’] next first-rounder in 2024, and one of three of their third-round picks this year. And if Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] is really good, he’ll get more.”
Cousins For Lance Trade Makes Sense For Vikings, 49ers at Right Price
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings throws a pass during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Cousins can veto any deal he doesn’t like by way of his no-trade clause. However, as Arnhold pointed out, the 49ers are a prime Super Bowl contender in a weak NFC and Cousins has a history with head coach Kyle Shanahan stretching back to their days together in Washington. If a trade to San Francisco is on the table, it probably won’t take much to convince Cousins.
That said, Arnhold may be projecting a bit high when it comes to Cousins’ value. The quarterback will turn 35 years old ahead of next season and has been good in Minnesota, though not great. Dealing for Cousins makes Darnold a redundant add to San Francisco’s roster at a guaranteed $4.5 million and while Lance has failed to live up to expectations thus far, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch did sacrifice two first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up nine spots and draft him 3rd overall in 2021.
Lance’s broken ankle in Week 2 last year, which required season-ending surgery, coupled with the emergence of Purdy as a legitimate NFL starter has yanked the floor out from under Lance’s trade value. Even still, a 23-year-old dual-threat quarterback, a first-round pick and a third-rounder would be a massive haul for Cousins even if he was the guaranteed starter heading into the 49ers organization via a trade, which he wouldn’t be given the Purdy element of the equation.
However, Lance does appear on the outs in San Francisco and getting something back for him now would be meaningful to the Niners’ current Super Bowl window. As such, Lance and a third-round pick, or even two, could make a lot of sense in the Bay Area, particularly if Purdy is slow to recover from a surgically-repaired elbow that he injured during the NFC Championship Game in late January.
Hendon Hooker Leading QB Draft Candidate For Vikings in 2023
GettyQuarterback Hendon Hooker of the Tennessee Volunteers scores a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers during a game at Neyland Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
If the Vikings decide not to pursue a trade for Lance or some other quarterback already playing in the NFL, then a move for a QB on draft weekend reads incredibly likely.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN posited on Friday that now is the most sensible time for Minnesota to hone in on Cousins’ eventual replacement. The Vikings turned down a proposal from Cousins’ camp of a three-year deal at a “discount” and have shown they are hesitant to extend the quarterback at all beyond the upcoming season. Instead, Minnesota restructured his contract to cut his salary cap hit by $16 million.
Seifert also highlighted the consistent messaging coming from the team that discusses Cousins as the leader of the offense in 2023 specifically, but not in any other context.
“I’m just excited to see him in Year 2. My goal is that 2023 is one of the best seasons that Kirk Cousins has had playing quarterback in the NFL,” head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on March 28. “When that happens, I think that’s going to be a really good thing for the Vikings.”
Multiple sources, including Seifert and Darren Wolfson of KSTP, have indicated that quarterback Hendon Hooker of Tennessee is the Vikings’ top draft prospect at the position.
“Somebody close to Hendon Hooker told me that his sense is the Vikings have been doing as much homework on him as any organization around,” Wolfson said during an April 4 appearance on the SKOR North podcast.
While Hooker started the draft season as a potential mid-round selection, his stock has risen after he impressed teams in individual interviews at the NFL Combine in March. Hooker is 25 years old and suffered an ACL tear late last season, both of which are negatives. However, he is touted as having a high football IQ and is a dual-threat player at the position.
The Vikings would probably need to draft Hooker with the 23rd overall pick, if not move up a bit to make sure they get him, and he wouldn’t likely be game-ready during his rookie season. That said, Hooker makes sense as a prospect in Minnesota playing behind Cousins as his heir apparent in 2024.
Hooker could also work for the Vikings if they deal Cousins for Lance, creating a deep QB room with two young, athletic quarterbacks who can compete for the starting job. Lance remains under contract for two more seasons and comes with a team option for a fifth year that must be exercised by March of 2024. As a first-round pick, the Vikings would hold Hooker’s playing rights for at least four seasons and would have a similar fifth-year team option on his contract for the 2027 season.