Will Vikings re-sign Joshua Dobbs over Kirk Cousins? Breaking down Minnesota’s 2024 free agency outlook at QB.

At that point, many presumed that the Vikings would begin to decline. Instead, they have gone 2-0 thanks to strong performances from quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who the team acquired from the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline.

The impressive part of Dobbs’ success is that he had been with the Vikings only five days before leading them to a come-from-behind victory against the Falcons. His ability to pick up the offense quickly and star within it certainly will encourage head coach Kevin O’Connell; and now, there could be questions about Dobbs’ future as the 28-year-old prepares to hit free agency

The Vikings were always prepared to face a major quarterback decision during the 2024 NFL offseason, and it will start with making a decision about the futures of both Cousins and Dobbs.

So, which of the players should the Vikings re-sign at quarterback? Here’s a breakdown of the case for each player and some of the other quarterback options the Vikings could have if they let them walk.

Vikings QB options 2024: Kirk Cousins

Cousins is set to be a free agent during the 2024 offseason and for the first time since he joined the Vikings in 2018, there seems to be uncertainty about whether he will return.

Even before Cousins got hurt, it looked like the Vikings were preparing to move on from the veteran quarterback. The team opted not to give him another contract extension ahead of the final year of his current deal; instead, they added four void years to his contract to lower his cap hit.

The Vikings can’t use the franchise tag on Cousins as a part of his restructured contract, so that guaranteed the veteran quarterback would be able to test free agency. It was expected he would be the best player available and could draw interest from quarterback-needy teams across the league with a team like the Falcons standing out as an option for him

However, Cousins’ injury will complicate his free agency. There’s no guarantee that the 35-year-old quarterback will be healthy to start the 2024 season, so that may scare some potential suitors away from him, especially if they have other options available to them.

Should the Vikings be scared by that? Probably a bit, but given their familiarity with Cousins, they might be more OK with it than others.

After all, Cousins was on pace for a career year before his serious injury, as he had completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions even despite being without his top receiver, Justin Jefferson, for several weeks. It’s reasonable to expect that he would thrive again in O’Connell’s offense if healthy.

That said, the Vikings may be looking for a fresh start at quarterback anyway. They have been a good team with Cousins, but he hasn’t taken them on the kind of deep playoff run they hoped he would be able to lead; as such, they may choose to look for a younger player with a higher ceiling rather than trust a quarterback coming off an Achilles tear entering his age-36 season.

But perhaps if the price is right, Cousins and the Vikings could agree on a short-term deal that keeps him in Minnesota as he recovers from his Achilles tear. A one- or two-year pact could be in order if there isn’t as much interest in Cousins as anticipated

Vikings QB options 2024: Joshua Dobbs

Strangely, Dobbs might be the better fit for Minnesota at quarterback. Cousins is the more talented player, but he also isn’t healthy, is in the final stretch of his career and would command a lucrative, long-term deal to continue playing for the Vikings.

Comparatively, Dobbs is just 28, is healthy and has demonstrated that, at a minimum, he can be a high-end backup quarterback in the NFL. If he continues to play well in the Vikings offense, then O’Connell and Co. may start to believe that he can be a rock-solid, game-managing starter.

In two games with the Vikings, Dobbs has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns. He also has run for 110 yards and two scores on 15 scrambles. His dual-threat ability has added a much-needed running element to the Vikings, as Minnesota has struggled to run the ball between the tackles, so that could factor into any decision to sign Dobbs.

It has to be noted that Dobbs’ strong performance has come in a tiny sample size. It’s possible that he could regress even as he becomes more comfortable within the Minnesota offense, so there’s no guarantee that the Vikings will want to sign him.

Still, Dobbs has shown well at times playing for the Titans, Cardinals and now, the Vikings over the last calendar year. Perhaps Minnesota will believe that he could continue to progress if he stays in one place longer term.

Even if he simply ends up being a mobile version of Ryan Fitzpatrick, that could be enough to turn the Vikings into a stable contender. Remember, this team once reached the NFC championship game with Case Keenum as its starting quarterback.

All that’s to say that Dobbs could end up being a nice, stopgap fit at quarterback for the Vikings. They could pair him with a young quarterback and try to develop him behind the scenes while compensating Dobbs at the rate of a Taylor Heinicke type; Heinicke is earning $7 million in average annual value.

Either way, Dobbs should end up being a cheaper option than Cousins. So, if the Vikings like Dobbs enough, they could choose to bring him back and then build up the rest of the team around him with their projected $51.7 million in cap space.

Vikings QB options 2024: The field

There’s also no guarantee that the Vikings will bring back either Cousins or Dobbs. The team could be happy to let them walk to receive compensatory draft picks in 2025. If that happens, the team will have to look elsewhere to find their quarterback of the future.

Below are some of the most notable quarterback options that the Vikings could pursue if they end up acquiring a new starting quarterback