When Kirk Cousins announced that he was leaving the Minnesota Vikings for the Atlanta Falcons, everyone knew the team would take some hit. Aside from being a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, Cousins is also a veteran leader on and off the field.
Until this point, like most professional organizations, Minnesota hasn’t received much negative press. The team celebrated signing Sam Darnold and drafting J.J. McCarthy as if they had just gotten Tom Brady and Caleb Williams. And they should. Their job is to make the fanbase feel like they are in a better position than when they had Cousins.
But cracks are starting to show.
Minnesota Vikings Did About as Good as They Could Have…Given the Circumstances
Given the circumstances of Kirk Cousins suddenly leaving and it being somewhat late in the trade season (for QBs, at least), getting Sam Darnold, who at least has starting experience, was a good get. Drafting J.J. McCarthy was also a great get, again considering where they were in the NFL Draft order. However, no matter how you look at it, unless McCarthy is the next CJ Stroud or Sam Darnold has the comeback story of the decade, it is hard to deny that the Vikings are in a much worse position than they were last year.
Still, when compared to when Cousins first announced he was leaving, things are looking much better. Many teams that lose their franchise QB and don’t have a top-five NFL Draft selection end up having very few options and end up struggling or even tanking the following season. The current situation at least makes the Vikings appear as possibly a fringe NFC wildcard team.
Vikings Star Opens Up About the Reality of Team’s Situation
Harrison Phillips, Minnesota’s defensive tackle, opened up about what missing the four-time All-Pro-Bowler means to the team. He shared the following on “NFL Total Access”:
“There’s gonna be a huge loss. Kirk Cousins as a person, as a leader, as a teammate, that’s a big void in your locker room. One of the most humble guys that I’ve ever been around. Servant leader, just a great motivator. He’s great. To ask one person to fill that void is probably not probable.
We’re going to all carry that load together, and maybe we can be a better football team for it. Kirk’s obviously amazing. I’ve learned a lot from him and the leadership side of thing, and that’s an area I’m trying to step up and improve my game by working on those abilities.”
The comments reflect the harsh reality of the locker room, as there isn’t a clear and proven leader in the quarterback room. Phillips said that the team is behind Sam Darnold and has confidence in him.
The Minnesota Vikings will look to improve off of a 7-10 season last year that saw them lose six of their final seven games. The Vikings season slate will be released next week.
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