Even though the 2023 season isn’t quite done, quarterback rumors and conjecture are already rampant. The Vikings are already being connected to a variety of possibilities, including bringing in a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback, due to their precarious quarterbacking predicament.
Russell Wilson of the Broncos is a quarterback, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN mentioned the Vikings as a possible team.
Wilson looks to be leaving Denver following a difficult season under Sean Payton. Some in league circles view the Vikings as the perfect destination for a veteran quarterback because of their abundance of weapons and quarterbacking void.
“Don’t be surprised if Wilson, should he become a free agent, is intrigued by Minnesota, assuming Kirk Cousins doesn’t re-sign with the Vikings (a big question),” Fowler said. “Sean McVay’s throwing tree, which maximizes quarterback efficiency, produces Kevin O’Connell. In a group including Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Justin Jefferson, Wilson would have an abundance of weapons.”
In 15 games this season for Denver, Wilson passed for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. Even though he gained less yards, it was still a significant improvement than his 4-11 record as the starting quarterback in his first season with the Broncos in 2022, when he completed only 60% of his throws.
When you take into account Wilson’s potential to take a lower salary in 2024 in order to play for a new team, the concept becomes much more intriguing. Wilson’s release would cost the Broncos a ton of dead cap space in 2024 and 2025, but his new team would have a fresh start with a more manageable contract.
According to OverTheCap, Minnesota has just $25.8 million in cap space as of the start of the 2024 offseason. It seems obvious that the only way he might end up in Minnesota is if the Broncos cut him and he accepts a less expensive offer.
Since the draft is still more than four months away, prepare for the fact that free agency won’t begin for another 57 days.
