Should the Titans play with Levis? Time to worry in San Francisco?
Should the Titans trade Ryan Tannehill to the Vikings and go all-in on Will Levis? Sports Seriously’s Mackenzie Salmon ‘overreacts’ to Week 8.
Sports seriously
It wasn’t that long ago that speculation focused on whether or not the Minnesota Vikings should attempt to move QB Kirk Cousins before the NFL’s trade deadline, which expires at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Now that the script has completely changed, the Vikes have amazingly found themselves in the position of weighing outside alternatives to replace Cousins, who suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers – an injury that which would likely end his season.
Cousins, who had a full no-trade clause during the final season of his contract, likely never went anywhere — to the New York Jets or elsewhere — and the last few weeks have shown why. Whatever his drawbacks – namely a general lack of success in high-profile games – he has been one of the league’s more consistent and durable passers since becoming a starter in Washington in 2015. He has made no fewer than 15 starts a season since then… a run of reliability that is now undoubtedly coming to an end.
And the timing is such a shame.
Not only had Cousins pushed the Vikings back to .500 with a third straight win after a 1-4 start, but Minnesota, the lucky NFC North champion a year ago, was third by the end of Sunday’s action NFC wild card team nominated highly. And while the Vikes may have been on pause because Cousins was out before the trade deadline, they don’t even have two days to get a deal done if GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and HC Kevin O’Connell choose that route.
(And there is no clear Plan B quarterback on the roster. Rookie Jaren Hall cleaned up on Sunday. Veteran Nick Mullens went on injured reserve with a back injury earlier this month but could return as early as Week 10. Fellow journeyman Sean Mannion, who started (One game late in the 2021 season when the unvaccinated Cousins was placed on the COVID-19 list is on the practice squad.)
So Minnesota doesn’t have to make a move. But expecting a green rookie and/or two career backups with a combined NFL record of 5-15 to sustain this current postseason push for nine more games seems like a significant overstatement. So… who could be among the alternatives?
Free agents
Nick Foles: He didn’t make a good impression in two starts last season with the Indianapolis Colts and could be perfectly content to never play a down-of-football game again. But he has earned a well-earned reputation as a standout reliever, most notably his heroics in the 2017 playoffs that culminated with Super Bowl 52 MVP honors – in Minnesota, no less.
Matt Ryan: The 2016 league MVP also didn’t make a good impression in his 12 starts for the 2022 Colts. Ryan claimed to have no interest in leaving the CBS broadcast booth to potentially join the Jets after Aaron Rodgers was injured in Week 1. However, he has apparently not yet completely closed the door to retirement.
Carson Wentz: It’s not like the free-agent QB market will be filled with talent at the end of October, but he’s probably the best available – at least from a physical standpoint. And being close to his roots in North Dakota would probably have some appeal for Wentz. The question is whether the Vikings have an appetite for the roller coaster ride he likes to take.
Trade Candidates
Jacoby Brissett, Washington commanders: He has never taken a team to the postseason. But he was almost universally liked in every locker room he visited, has 48 NFL starts on his resume and is on an expiring contract for a team that appears to be on the verge of a garage sale. Solid option.
Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers: He has 167 NFL starts, including playoffs, and has emerged as a top backup in recent years. And while his ability to mentor rookie QB Bryce Young is certainly valuable to Carolina, the exchange rate may be more important for a Panthers team that spent so much draft capital to sign Young. Dalton, 36, is under contract through next season, which may have been even more attractive to Minnesota given Cousins’ injury.
Trey Lance, Dallas Cowboys: The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft (by the San Francisco 49ers) is obviously very talented – if inexperienced, considering his limited representation at both the college and NFL levels. He’s from Minnesota and could be a particularly interesting option for the Vikings given Cousins’ uncertain physical and financial future. However, given that the Cowboys traded a fourth-rounder to the Niners before the season in exchange for Lance’s services, Adofo-Mensah knows the bottom of what could be a relatively high price tag is beginning.
Case Keenum, Houston Texans: It’s hard not to like this one. Currently the third-stringer behind rookie CJ Stroud, Keenum led the Vikings on a magical path to the NFC title game in 2017 – by far his best professional season. He’s also under contract through next year and worked with O’Connell when both were in Washington in 2019, meaning Keenum’s learning curve in this playbook would theoretically be flatter than most. And would Houston really take him hostage when he probably doesn’t have much left to teach Stroud?
Davis Mills, Texan: He’s Stroud’s primary backup, and the 2021 third-rounder has played a lot more NFL football (26 starts) than draftmate Lance – and under very difficult circumstances in Houston. Mills is another option that could also be a wildcard in 2024.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: He’s currently dealing with an ankle injury and the remainder of his $27 million base salary would certainly be a cause for consternation, even if Tannehill’s contract expires after the season. And yet he has a Pro Bowl pedigree, led Tennessee to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs less than two years ago, and his recovery could well suit the circumstances – giving him time to learn the system while Mannion or Mullens does Hold position in the short term. It’s worth considering whether the finances can be sorted out — especially since rookie Will Levis’ performance on Sunday suggests Tannehill may have already played his final snap in Nashville.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.