Ex-Jets HC claims Vikings could bring in $180,000,000 QB as J.J. McCarthy's backup
The Minnesota Vikings are set to truly begin the J.J. McCarthy era in 2025 after a meniscal tear ended their young quarterback's rookie season before it even began. However, the depth behind him is rather underwhelming, so Eric Mangini has a bold idea of who his backup could be - former starter Kirk Cousins.
The former New York Jets head coach made the case for bringing the four-time Pro Bowler back to Minneapolis on Tuesday's episode of First Things First (starts at 02:35 in the video below):
“I would imagine they’re going to go and get a backup that they feel could win a bunch of games, should something happen to J.J. McCarthy.”
He continued (from 03:15):
"Kirk's a little bit interesting... He left because the money wasn't right. But everything that I've read is that the relationship with the organization ...the city ...the coach(es) was great. He might be of the mindset of, 'This could be my best chance to be successful.'"
Cousins has been a major subject of trade talks ever since the Atlanta Falcons benched him late in the 2024 season for underperforming despite a four-year, $180-million contract.
Bringing back Kirk Cousins is a bad idea for Vikings, says analyst
At least one person opposed to such an idea by the Vikings, though - A to Z Sports' Tyler Forness. He writes that, financial implications aside, the return of Kirk Cousins will create a very damaging quarterback controversy, given the divisiveness he generated during his initial tenure with the team.
More specifically, it will be the inverse of what happened between him and Michael Penix Jr. at the Falcons:
"The second McCarthy ended up having a stretch of struggles with an interception or two, (it) would bring discussion of sitting him for Cousins, which would lead to a PR nightmare. That is not conducive to instilling confidence in McCarthy."
He concludes:
"None of this actually takes into account what Cousins is as a player. Honestly, his current ability is perfect for a backup quarterback, but the added layer cancels that out to an extent. It might seem like a good idea, but this is real life, not Madden."
Being one of 25 teams with returning head coaches, the Vikings begin spring camp next week.