Five Potential Replacements For Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Kirk Cousins

Once again the football gods have decided that Vikings fans cannot have nice things.

The Vikings were rocking and rolling over the Packers on both sides of the football field Sunday afternoon (in Green Bay no less), but the party stopped when Kirk Cousins suffered an apparent Achilles injury late in the fourth quarter.

So it goes.

The Vikings currently have three (!) other quarterbacks on the roster, none of which currently seem to fit the bill for a team with playoff aspirations, in journeymen Nick Mullens (currently on injured reserve) and Shawn Mannion (practice squad) along with rookie Jaren Hall.

In all likelihood it will be one of those three that takes the reigns for the 4-4 Vikings the rest of the way. However, there are some (potentially) better options out there if the Vikings choose to go that route.

TREY LANCE, DALLAS COWBOYS 

The Vikings and Trey Lance will seemingly be linked forever. Lance is a Marshall, Minnesota native who played college football at North Dakota State University. After being drafted third overall by the 49ers in 2021, Lance functioned mainly as a backup to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo while battling an injury to a finger on his throwing hand.

Slated to be the starter in 2022, Lance's second season proved to be short-lived when he suffered an ankle injury in week two. During the offseason, San Francisco opted to stick with Brock Purdy as its quarterback, which led to a trade with the Dallas Cowboys.

Lance is intriguing but the cost to acquire him weighed against his nearly complete lack of resume at the NFL level might be a bridge too far for the purple.

RYAN TANNEHILL, TENNESEE TITANS 

Tannehill has quickly gone from a Titans mainstay to an afterthought since rookie Will Levis, a second round pick in the 2023 draft, led Tennessee to a win this week by throwing four touchdown passes in his debut.

Tannehill was okay with the Dolphins and has had flashes with the Titans but he is 35 years old, has an ankle injury and would need to learn a pass-heavy system after playing for run-heavy Tennesee the last five seasons.

CARSON WENTZ, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT 

Wentz is a pretty popular name in Minnesota thanks to his success with North Dakota State University. However, he has been shuttled to three different teams over the last three seasons, including a not-so-great run with the Commanders in 2022.

He has had his high points, including a third-place MVP finish in his second season in 2017, but there has to be a reason no one has signed him yet this year, right?

MATT RYAN, RETIRED 

Matt Ryan is a borderline Hall of Fame quarterback who is currently enjoying his first year of retirement from the NFL. When Aaron Rodgers went down with his Achilles tear in week one, Ryan's was one of the names floated around as a potential replacement for the Jets.

A former Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP, there is no denying how good Ryan was at his peak. However, he was benched before completing his first season with the Colts in 2022 and looked like a shell of his former self.

TOM BRADY, RETIRED 

Come on, a guy can dream can't he?