NFL Rumors: 5 contenders who should take a chance on Michael Penix Jr.

2) Minnesota Vikings

Kirk Cousins will be 36 when the season begins, and he's coming off an Achilles tear that ended his season in Week 8. Will the Vikings re-sign him now that he's a free agent, or will they look to get younger?

Head coach Kevin O'Connell saw what life was like without Cousins, as the trio of Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall limped to a 1-6 finish to leave the Vikings on the outside looking in on the playoffs. That doesn't automatically mean Cousins will be back, though, as he'll likely have multiple teams competing for his services.

Minnesota has an offense that any young quarterback would want to be a part of. Justin Jefferson is the best young receiver in the game, Jordan Addison had a tremendous rookie year despite the quarterback carousel, and T.J. Hockenson is locked up for the next four years. Penix showed what he can do when surrounded by playmakers in Washington, as the receiving duo of Rome Odunze and Ja'Lynn Polk combined for over 2,700 yards.

If Cousins leaves town, the Vikings will suddenly have the most tenuous quarterback situation in the division. Jared Goff has led the Lions to at least the NFC Championship Game, Jordan Love excelled in his first year as a starter, and the Bears will likely be rolling out either Justin Fields with a scary group of playmakers around him (such as Odunze or Marvin Harrison, Jr. in addition to DJ Moore), or Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the first pick in the draft. Needless to say, you're going to need to put up points if you want to win in the NFC North from now on.

The Vikings need someone with upside that can give them a chance to take advantage of all the skill position talent they have. Penix could be that guy.