The Minnesota Vikings are days away from losing Kirk Cousins to free agency, meaning they are turning over every stone in search of a potential bridge replacement for the 2024 season — yes, even Zach Wilson.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson confirmed a prediction from The Athletic that the Vikings could pursue Sam Darnold and Wilson during a March 7 appearance on SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast.
“If the Vikings lose Cousins, their top target will be [Baker] Mayfield. But if Mayfield doesn’t hit free agency, Minnesota might try to take a flier on a young option with some upside. Darnold has never been in particularly winning situations as a starter but no one has ever questioned his arm talent. After a year in Kyle Shanahan’s system, he might be ready for another shot at starting,” The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt wrote.
“In 2021, some with the Jets wanted to keep Darnold and draft Wilson and now the Vikings have the chance to play out that dream,” Rosenblatt added. “Wilson is on his way out in New York but in the right environment, with the right coaching, he still has the talent to, at worst, be a high-end backup. Minnesota is a good fit.”
Wolfson said the “steam” on Darnold is “legit” and that he is “near the top” of the Vikings’ list of veteran bridge quarterbacks.
They’ve also done “some homework” on Wilson, while a first-round rookie quarterback remains the long-term vision for the franchise and would likely compete for the starting job alongside a veteran bridge starter.
While Darnold is an impending free agent, Wilson is entering the fourth year of his $35.1 million rookie deal, carrying a cap hit of $11.2 million for the 2024 season.
The Jets granted Wilson permission to seek a trade in February.
Vikings Could Wait for Jets to Cut Wilson, Buy Low on Former No. 2 Overall Pick
While the Vikings’ plan should be to find a true franchise quarterback, the 2024 season will require some trial with a veteran bridge starter. A competition in training camp should be on the agenda.
Wilson doesn’t offer the significant cap savings teams look for in a rookie quarterback entering the final year of his deal, although he could agree to take a pay cut to help facilitate a trade, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
“It’s possible Wilson could take a pay cut to facilitate a trade, but most teams interested in the QB would likely be willing to wait until the Jets inevitably cut him,” Patra wrote.
Wilson is in a similar position as No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance was with the San Francisco 49ers before he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Wilson could be pried away from New York for the same value — a fourth-round pick.
Geno Smith Provides Encouraging Example for Jets Quarterbacks
Coming out of BYU, Wilson was the second overall pick by the Jets in 2021. Like several quarterbacks that came before him, New York didn’t have an ideal situation for a young quarterback.
Darnold was selected third overall in 2018 as the next dice roll at a rookie quarterback and was traded after just three seasons. Geno Smith was the last high-round rookie quarterback the Jets took a chance on in 2013 — and his late-career resurgence offers some hope for Darnold and Wilson.
A 2013 second-round pick, Smith was a backup for four years after he left the Jets before becoming the Seattle Seahawks starter. He’s since earned back-to-back Pro Bowls nods. The biggest transformation of his game has been taking better care of the ball, posting under 2% interception rates the past two seasons.
Darnold and Wilson were considered to have better arm talent than Smith, but making the right decisions continues to be where they need improvement.
Darnold, 26, showed it briefly, playing for the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, while Wilson also still has plenty of room to grow at the age of 24.
