Entering training camp, it felt as if it was a foregone conclusion that J.J. McCarthy would take over for Sam Darnold as the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback, and that Sam Howell would back him up, with Brett Rypien being nothing more than an emergency QB3. Well, while McCarthy remains poised for the starting role, Rypien is giving Howell a run for his money to be McCarthy's backup. Based on how that battle has unfolded, it's tough to ignore the possibility of a Kirk Cousins reunion making some sense.
“That’s a legit battle July into August," Darren Wolfson said on SKOR North. "Don’t just assume that he’s (Howell) the automatic number 2. That is a real battle to watch.”
Rypien making things interesting in the QB2 competition raises the question of whether the Vikings actually have a viable backup option in place. The fact that this can even be questioned should make a Cousins reunion at least somewhat interesting to Vikings fans.
A Kirk Cousins reunion makes more sense than Vikings fans might want to admit
McCarthy is the unquestioned starter, but having a viable backup for him in his de facto rookie year is important. Not only would the Vikings want someone McCarthy can learn from, but they'd also want someone who can possibly take over if McCarthy, a player who has yet to play a single NFL regular season snap, struggles.
Do Howell and Rypien check either of these boxes, especially if this training camp battle is close? No disrespect to Rypien, but he's made 10 appearances and four starts across four NFL seasons and has completed just 58.3 percent of his throws while also throwing over double the amount of interceptions (9) as touchdown passes (4). If that guy is making things close with Howell, is Howell really the backup the Vikings should want?
Vikings fans turned the page on Cousins when he signed his monstrous deal with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason, and rightfully so, but a possible reunion can't be ignored. Cousins is very clearly on the trade block with the Falcons handing the keys to Michael Penix Jr., and the Vikings need a backup.
McCarthy should still be the starter, but Cousins would give the team the veteran that the youngster can learn from, and it'd be especially helpful given Cousins knows and thrived in Kevin O'Connell's offense. If McCarthy struggles or gets injured, the Vikings would then also have more of a viable option to turn to in Cousins, even if he isn't at his best, than Howell and Rypien. He'd be one of the best backups in the game, undoubtedly.
With how poorly the Cousins experiment has gone in Atlanta, there's a chance that Minnesota can acquire him without giving anything of importance up while also having the Falcons eat some of the money he's owed. It might not be what Vikings fans want, but with this team needing a viable McCarthy backup, a Cousins reunion should not be ruled out.