The 2023 season is inching closer and closer by the day and we here at Vikings Wire are previewing the season from every angle.
We are currently writing player profiles on each Minnesota Viking on the roster with projections for what their 2023 season could look like. How things look projecting forward is where the real intrigue lies.
Leading up to training camp, we will be looking at each position from a more in-depth perspective. Today, we will be starting with the most important position: quarterback.
The room
- Kirk Cousins
- Nick Mullens
- Jaren Hall
Performance in 2022
In the first year of the Kevin O’Connell tenure, expectations were high for an offense that had a lot of talented weapons. His experience as an offensive coordinator under Sean McVay was expected to make an impact for the Vikings and it did.
While Cousins didn’t have his best statistical season, what he did do was play at his best in a Vikings uniform. Cousins attacked down the field and made plays that he wouldn’t have made in prior seasons. He threw 29 touchdowns and a Vikings career-high 14 interceptions, but some of those tight window throws he hadn’t made in years past helped the Vikings win all 11 of their one-score games.
The room was finalized nicely with the addition of Mullens in the preseason after both Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion showed in the preseason that they weren’t capable of holding down the spot this past season. He didn’t play much at all, but having a stabilizing backup is a really good thing to have.
Expectations in 2023
The expectations are simple: grow from 2022.
When you look at every aspect of the 2022 season, there were a lot of things that went against the Vikings. The team was learning a new offense, dealing with injuries on the offensive line and struggles on the outside other than Justin Jefferson. That led to a trade for T.J. Hockenson and things showed improvement, but it was on the fly.
The Vikings also weren’t great from an advanced metric perspective. They were 22nd in weighted DVOA and 28th in rushing DVOA. While other things (like one score games) are going to regress to the mean, those elements with the second year of the offense, Hockenson participating in the offseason and continuity on the offensive line will help those positively regress to the mean as well.
Cousins will play a huge impact with that. This will be the first time in his tenure as Vikings quarterback that he doesn’t have to deal with a new play caller. That will make a big difference, as the growth of the unit will hinge upon Cousins helping them take the next step. Continuing to grow and improve is necessary for the success of this team and his future with the Vikings.
What does the future of the room look like?
Things get really complicated here. Cousins contract voids after the 2023 season and he said himself that contract extension talks wouldn’t happen until after the season and likely not until March.
Paired with that is the selection of Jaren Hall in the fifth round. He has all the talent in the world but inconsistencies dropped him to the fifth round. What he does have is a true dual-threat playmaking ability and experience in the offense that Kevin O’Connell runs. While expectations shouldn’t be that he is the quarterback of the future, a really good season in the meeting room and on the practice field should give hope that he could at least be a bridge for the next guy.
With draft capital in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL draft and full slate of picks, moving up for a quarterback is certainly in the cards for 2024. However, a great season from Cousins could lead to an extension. The future here is going to be fun to watch.
