The Minnesota Vikings‘ QB situation is currently in what could be considered a “happy mess”, with the team having multiple strong options to choose from as the Sam Darnold decision looms nearer and nearer.
One team who are in the diametrically opposite situation to the Vikings are a team coached by Minnesota’s former offensive coordinator, Kevin Stefanski, in the Cleveland Browns.
Having the very injured and very underperforming Deshaun Watson on the roster for two more years, at a cap hit of over $72 million apiece; despite the fact he will not be healthy to start the 2025 season – and may miss the entirety of it; leaves the team in a bit of a pickle.
The team were poised to ride out the Watson experiment for yet another year prior to his ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last November, but now facing cap-hell, the team needs to re-evaluate its options at QB.
Cousins Has One Barrier To Becoming Browns Starting QB
Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports that figures inside the NFL believe that the team could go after ex Viking, Kirk Cousins – a connection that many figure due to Cousins’ shared time with Stefanski in Minneapolis.
However, Pauline notes that there is one thing standing in the way of Cousins becoming the starting quarterback in Cleveland this year: if the Browns manage to land University of Miami product, Cam Ward.
“Several people in the league tell me that if the Browns can’t come away with Ward in the draft”, Pauline writes, “their starting quarterback this season is likely to be Kirk Cousins, who will be reunited with Kevin Stefanski. The two spent several years together in Minnesota when Cousins was the starting quarterback, and Stefanski had roles ranging from quarterback coach to offensive coordinator before he took the head coaching job in Cleveland.”
Ward Or Cousins In Cleveland?
Picking at #2 overall, it seems very plausible that Ward could fall into the Browns’ laps – particularly given the fact that the Miami standout is not some generational prospect at the position.
Despite the sole team picking ahead of Cleveland, the Tennessee Titans, also being QB needy; after what is looking like a failed Will Levis experiment over the past two years; the Titans are reportedly looking to move out of the #1 spot.
However, if they do manage to pull off a trade down, it is more than likely that the team moving up will snatch Ward, the #1 QB prospect, from out of Browns’ grasp – unless it is Cleveland themselves moving up one spot.
This conditional move on a more general basis is a puzzling one: free agency commences six weeks prior to the draft, so unless a grandiose move occurs prior to free agency, such as the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders trading up to #1 overall, the Browns may not know if Ward is with in reach until close to draft night at the end of April.
Given Cousins’ contract structure, no team will have to pay him more than the veteran minimum (unless he suddenly becomes worth more than $28 million overnight), which could make him an easy “bridge quarterback” target, regardless of whether the team lands Ward or not.
Perhaps his venture to Cleveland is a foregone one at this point, as long as he obtains a release from his current employers, the Atlanta Falcons, with the only question mark remaining being whether he is QB1 or QB2.
