Vikings latest hire should give confidence in next chapter at QB

The Minnesota Vikings are at an undeniable quarterback crossroads this offseason. While the general consensus appears to be moving on from Kirk Cousins and trying to find a younger franchise option, it does still seem like all options are open. But if the Vikings do go the expected route, through the NFL Draft specifically, their latest coaching hire could prove highly beneficial.

On Tuesday, the Vikings announced that longtime NFL quarterback Josh McCown has been hired as the club's quarterbacks coach.

McCown spent 19 seasons in the NFL with more than a dozen franchises before serving as the Carolina Panthers quarterbacks coach in the 2023 season. Now, he make his way to Minnesota.

Despite the lack of success the Panthers had last season, though, this move should be a firm sign of optimism for Vikings fans as they look toward the franchise's future at quarterback.

Vikings hiring Josh McCown is great news for QB search

While McCown ultimately ended up coaching Bryce Young as a rookie last season, the coach's evaluation of the 2023 quarterback class was spot on. It was widely reported that he was a massive fan of then Ohio State prospect C.J. Stroud. Carolina, of course, went with Young and left Stroud to be left for the Houston Texans, where he went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and lead the team to the playoffs.

Though the narrative could still change on Young, it does appear that McCown's evaluation of the two players was spot on in terms of his preference. Thus, if the Vikings are eyeing a quarterback in the 2024 draft, having McCown in the building gives them another voice that the front office can trust in that regard.

But beyond that, if the Vikings are considering an aggressive trade up from the No. 11 overall pick, then McCown could also play a factor in that decision as well. Why? Well, as Jordan Reid of ESPN noted, when McCown was the assistant coach for Myers Park High School in Charlotte, NC back in 2019, his quarterback was none other than Drake Maye, one of the top three quarterbacks in the draft class.

Does this tangibly mean anything for the Vikings? Not necessarily. But for an organization clearly mulling a major change at quarterback now being combined with McCown's recent history regarding the position and this year's QB draft class, it's hard not to connect the dots and feel much more confident in what Minnesota could cook up this offseason.