Should the Vikings trade for Carson Wentz?

The Vikings may decide to look into a trade for Carson Wentz this offseason. Would that be a wise move?

The Minnesota Vikings are mathematically alive in the NFC playoff hunt at 6-8, but the odds of making it in are slim. A loss to the Chicago Bears last week ruined much of the hope up in Minneapolis.

Kirk Cousins threw for 271 yards in the game and had two touchdowns. He also threw his 13th interception of the season. The Vikings are in a tough spot with their quarterback. He is only set to earn $21 million in 2021, but is a $41 million dead cap hit if released. That number goes down to $10 million in 2022.

It is hard to imagine Cousins sticking around through the 2022 season based on his play so far as a member of the Vikings. The team can’t cut him this offseason, but may want to bring in some more competition at the position. Adding Carson Wentz is one option worth exploring.

Should the Vikings consider Carson Wentz?

This is a tricky situation. The Vikings may want to improve at quarterback, however, adding Wentz brings in even more money. He is a $34.6 million cap hit in 2021 when his massive four-year extension actually begins.

One way to make the money work is by finding someone to take Cousins in a trade. Who knows if that is even possible? But let’s say it all works out and the Vikings have the chance to add Wentz and make the money work. Should they do it?

This is a tough question to answer. The Eagles appear to be giving up on Wentz and rolling with Jalen Hurts after signing their former No. 2 overall pick to a major extension. That is a troubling sign when it comes to evaluating the quarterback.

One thing to note is Wentz’s dead cap figure drops to just over $15 million in 2023. So the Vikings could bring him in for two years as a presumed upgrade over Cousins. It is certainly worth a shot if the team is not going to totally bottom out and pick at the top of a draft.

Wentz appears to be lost in Doug Pederson’s offense. A chance of scenery could be what he needs and in Minnesota he would not have a rookie quarterback waiting to take his job. He would also have much more talent at the skill positions, which appears to be lost in the narrative of him struggling in Philadelphia.

The Vikings should absolutely consider Wentz. This is a player who entered 2020 with 97 touchdowns and only 35 interceptions. His ratio of 16-15 in 2020 shouldn’t define his entire career and he could head to Minnesota with two years to prove himself. If Cousins isn’t leading the team to the postseason there is no reason to say Wentz would be an awful addition, especially if a top rookie quarterback isn’t coming to town.

Of course, this all depends on the Eagles willing to take a huge financial hit in such a trade and on the Vikings to find someone to take Cousins’ money. But for the sake of a hypothetical, there is no reason the Vikings should rule out Wentz in 2021.