The Minnesota Vikings have, like all other NFL franchises, entered their offseason. Only the Eagles, perhaps, are still focusing on the recent Super Bowl triumph and the upcoming parade.
2 Prominent Ex-Vikings Could Reunite in New York
A team that hasn’t come close to a Super Bowl in the last decade is the New York Jets. The organization hasn’t been to the postseason since the 2010 season with Rex Ryan at the helm. It’s a new era for the Jets, as general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh were fired during the disappointing 2024 campaign.
New GM Darren Mougey and his head coach Aaron Glenn call the shots from now on. Few franchises even come close to their level of dysfunction. Calming down the operation and, subsequently, the harsh New York media scene must be the goal.
The Jets have also hired Rick Spielman as a senior football advisor to make that happen. Spielman had been Minnesota’s general manager until the 2022 offseason when the ownership decided to clean house and install a new leadership group directed by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell.
“Right now, my biggest project is trying to rebuild the football operation side of things,” Spielman told co-host Ryan Wilson on the “With The First Pick” podcast. “There’s a lot of changes going on up there. I kind of feel honored and privileged that they called me to be part of it going forward.”
It remains to be seen how much input Spielman has on roster building, but one thing is clear: The Jets need a quarterback after reportedly showing Aaron Rodgers the door.
Well, Spielman knows a guy.
He made the costly move in the 2018 offseason to acquire passer Kirk Cousins. The Vikings needed a long-term solution to actually compete for a Super Bowl after Case Keenum led the club to the NFC Championship Game.
That plan didn’t work, but Cousins was still a solid QB for the purple team for six years. A year ago, the four-time Pro Bowler ditched the Vikings to sign with the Falcons. In the first half of the season, Cousins played well in the NFC South, but his play fell off in the second half. Ultimately, his new team inserted rookie Michael Penix Jr. for the late stretch of the season.
Cousins is now looking for an opportunity to start in 2025, and the Falcons won’t look back. They have suggested that keeping him as a backup is an option, but nobody wants a reserve signal-caller on a $45 million salary. A trade is an option, and Cousins landing in the free agency pool after being cut can’t be ruled out, either.
Regardless, the Jets don’t have anyone in place, and Cousins, age 36, could be a bridge starter for a year or two, especially in an offseason with only a couple of first-round-worthy QBs in the draft.
He needs a new team, and the Jets need a quarterback who can be at least competent, so why not give him (or his team) a call?
A reunion between Spielman and Cousins makes sense.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt