They did it in 2016, after Teddy Bridgewater suffered a season-ending knee injury in late August. They did so in 2023, after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon.
They’re doing it today, to prevent the season from ending 6-11.
According to ESPNFL, the Vikings have started making calls regarding a possible trade for a quarterback.
Of course they make calls. Coach Kevin O’Connell made that pretty clear last night. The real question is whether they can reach a deal.
They’re not operating from a position of strength, especially after a horrible performance from Carson Wentz, whose passer rating against Buffalo was 8.9. The greater the need perceived by one team, the more the other team will want it.
The Vikings’ best hope is to find themselves in a situation where multiple teams are looking to unload a starter. By persuading one team that the Vikings will make a deal with another team, the price could go down.
There aren’t many current starters that might even be available. Two of them – Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and Colts quarterback Daniel Jones – have experience in Minnesota. Others include, potentially, Jets quarterback Geno Smith and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Backups might be available. Mac Jones had previously been linked to Minnesota. The 49ers should feel comfortable with the Mac Jones alternative as Brock Purdy’s understudy. If a team trades its number 2, it assumes the risk that the holder gets injured in the next game.
It happened to the Steelers in 2019. They traded Josh Dobbs to the Jaguars after Nick Foles was injured in Week 1. In Week 2, the Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger for the year. Then came the Duck Hodges show.
At this point, it’s fair to wonder if a quarterback upgrade will be important for the Vikings. The offense’s flaws may run deeper than the quarterback position.
Still, it’s obvious they need someone who can be more effective than Kyler Murray or Carson Wentz, who in all honesty should be cut today.
And if the Vikings can’t move up at quarterback, they need to listen to offers for receiver Justin Jefferson. His prime is wasted, and he would surely love to move on (even if he would never say it out loud).
The final push could be to draft Jimmy Garoppolo, who would likely be an instant upgrade from the very low bar set by Minnesota’s current quarterbacks.
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