NFL rumors: 5 Kirk Cousins replacements Vikings should already consider

2. A Kyler Murray trade would replace Kirk Cousins immediately

The not-so-quiet secret surrounding the Arizona Cardinals is that a full-blown reset is about to take place. It’s not hard to decipher given that they have arguably the worst roster in the NFL coming into the 2023 season, but it’s what they could mean for former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray that could be of relevance to the Vikings.

After some savvy draft-day trading this past April, there’s a good chance that Arizona could hold both the No. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 draft as they own the Texans’ first-round pick too. And given the lack of roster strength, it would behoove them to take one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, trade Kyler Murray while restructuring his $230.5 million contract, and truly start anew.

That creates a fascinating possibility for the Vikings if that were to come to fruition.

Despite all of the hype around Murray as he came into the league, the diminutive passer has not found team success with the Cardinals. Part of that is on him, to be sure, but it’s also on the organization in Arizona, failing to construct an offensive line to protect him, leaving massive holes on the defense, and whiffing mightily with Kliff Kingsbury.

The Vikings would seem to have less of an issue with all of those things. He’d instantly be coming into the best position he’s had in his NFL career while also getting a fresh mental start. On top of that, we know how gifted Murray is as a dual-threat passer, which would bring a new element to Kevin O’Connell’s offense alongside Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and so on.

On paper, it does make sense. There are concerns about Murray’s viability even in a better situation and, at his price tag, that’s a big risk to take on. But not taking risks is what has gotten them into the present Kirk Cousins conundrum — so maybe it’s time to take that big swing.