The Vikings have four distinct paths they could take toward their quarterback future. Each offers risk and potential rewards.
Here are their options, ranked in reverse order of desirability:
4. Start over
They don't sign incumbent starter Kirk Cousins and decline to use the 11th pick in the 2024 draft on a quarterback who might be good enough to start immediately. They go back to the mid-'90s Vikings quarterback plan and sign the best available free agent to a short-term deal.
This could happen. Cousins could decide he wants $40 or $50 million a year, or a long-term deal with a lot of guaranteed money, and the Vikings could refuse.