The Minnesota Vikings have consistently been one of the upper-tier teams in the NFC for some time now, never taking the world by storm but rarely looking hapless on the field either.
They’ve been led by quarterback Kirk Cousins for the last six seasons. Last year they posted a 13-3 mark and Cousins earned a trip to his fourth Pro Bowl. He’s sure to start under center again in 2023 and provides a steady fantasy option for managers.
But what if Cousins goes down and has to miss an extended period of time? Are any of his backups viable options to fill the QB slot in your fantasy lineup?
Vikings starting quarterback: Kirk Cousins
Cousins is heading into his sixth season as a starter for the Vikings and his 12th overall season in the NFL. Over his career, he’s started 137 games and hasn’t started fewer than 15 games since 2014. He’s racked up 37,140 yards, 252 touchdowns and just 105 picks. A season ago he had over 4500 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, so he’s still performing at a high level and was ranked the 8th-best fantasy QB in the league in 2022.
On the ground, he’s got 19 scores in his career, two of which came last year.
Who is Kirk Cousins’ backup on the Vikings QB depth chart?
Cousins is one of the most reliable QBs in the NFL in terms of being able to suit up on Sundays. He hasn’t missed more than two games since 2014, which were the days before he was a full-time starter. But if he does go down, veteran backup Nick Mullens is behind him on the depth chart.
Mullens didn’t start a single game last year but saw action in four of them. He racked up 224 yards, one score and one interception in 2022. In his career, he’s got 5,085 yards, 27 scores and 23 picks in 24 games. He has started a total of 17 games, none of which were for the Vikings, and has a record of 5-12 as a starter.
Behind Mullens is rookie QB Jaren Hall from BYU. He was a fifth-round pick by the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft and set BYU on fire during his time there, passing for 6,174 yards, 52 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in two seasons as a starter. On the ground, he had nine scores and 800 total yards, but his real skill isn’t rushing, it’s his ability to scramble and keep plays alive while keeping his eyes downfield. If he impresses in camp, don’t be shocked if he’s QB2 over Mullens by the end of the season.