EAGAN, Minn. — The calendar has flipped to March, which means the 2021 edition of free agency is quickly approaching.
The 2021 league year officially begins at 3 p.m. (CT) on March 17.
Over the next two weeks, Vikings.com will provide an in-depth look on where each position stands entering free agency. We'll look at which Vikings are scheduled to become free agents, where potential needs might be and note players from other teams that are set to become free agents.
Let's begin with quarterback.
UNDER CONTRACT:
Kirk Cousins, Jake Browning and Nate Stanley
Cousins
2020 Stats: Started all 16 games; completed 349 of 516 passes (67.6 percent) for 4,265 yards with 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a passer rating of 105.0
Cousins struggled in the first six games of the 2020 season with 11 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions, but he rebounded strongly the rest of the way with 24 touchdowns and just three picks in the final 10 games. While it wasn't enough to help the Vikings make the playoffs, he ended his third season in Purple as a top-10 quarterback by multiple metrics.
View the best photos of Vikings QB Kirk Cousins from the 2020 season.
The quarterback is now readying for his fourth season in Minnesota. And while there has been recent outside trade speculation, it's worth noting the Vikings have built their offense around his strengths and recently promoted his former position coach (Klint Kubiak) to offensive coordinator.
Cousins has had rough patches or games and torrid streaks in each of his three previous seasons, so maximimizing his strengths, prolonging the success and avoiding the pitfalls for 16 games can help the Vikings return to the postseason.
Browning
2020 Stats: None (spent entire season on practice squad)
Browning remains a bit of a mystery entering his third season. He was an undrafted free agent in 2019 and was decent in the preseason. But a virtual offseason in 2020 (and no preseason games) likely impacted his growth more than others on the roster. He's a candidate for the backup job if he takes a step forward in 2021.
Stanley
2020 Stats: None (spent entire season on practice squad)
Stanley is in the same boat as Browning but has one less year of NFL experience. He was a seventh-round pick in 2020 but then didn't have the advantage of reps in OTAs and preseason games. Provided there are preseason games in 2021, some eyes will be on Stanley to see how he fares in his first live NFL action.
View the best quarterback photos from the 2020 season from Vikings photographers including stories behind the photos.
This photo of Kirk was taken during our game against the Cowboys in which we wore our Primetime Purple jerseys. I wanted to emphasize the Purple and Gold in our jersey so I used colored pieces of paper in front of my lens to create a multicolored effect. - Andy
In the home opener, Kirk Cousins showed off mobility by rushing for 34 yards on four carries. For this photo, I slowed down my shutter speed to create the panning/motion effect. - Andy
I feel this photo accurately represented the eeriness and strange vibe of the first regular-season game without fans. The empty seats in the background help tell this story. - Andy
It wouldn't be a game in Seattle without a little rain. This photo of Kirk Cousins was taken minutes before kickoff when the rain was coming down stronger. I didn't enjoy the hassle of using rain gear but I did like how the photos turned out. - Andy
Since access was more limited this season, I wasn't able to be as close to the team as usual. One way I adapted was by using longer lenses and cropping in my photos. This photo was taken with a 180-mm Macro lens and cropped so Kirk's head filled the frame. I exposed the photo for the highlights, which helped create deeper shadows framing his face. It was converted to black and white to enhance the contrast of the image. - Andy
This photo was taken during the team introductions at the stadium. I utilized an off camera flash to light the players. The flash also highlighted the artificial snow that our production team uses for intros. I converted the photo to black and white because I liked how the shadows and specks of light created an interstellar feel. - Andy
This photo was taken after our victory in Green Bay against the Packers. Players from both teams meet in the center of the field after games to pray. Usually the field is very busy with other media members and fans in the background. Due to COVID-19, however, the field and stands were empty, creating a more unique image than usual. Despite Lambeau Field being home to our rivals I really love the history and atmosphere of the stadium. - Andy
This image was taken before team introductions in the location where the players are staged and await being announced. I like this image because Kirk is standing in a hero pose with his two leading receivers, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, standing behind him. I really appreciate the hard work of our game-day production team to make normal moments transform into visually stunning scenes. - Andy
This photo was taken moments before the team took the field at Detroit in Week 17. The tunnel gets crowded quickly as the players await the signal to run out. I scanned the helmets until I locked in on Kirk, calm and focused on the task ahead. After a long year, he was finally back home in Michigan. In that moment I thought back to his pregame quote "not the last game of the year, but the first game of 2021" I think it summed up the moment perfectly. - Kam
This photo was taken right after our MNF victory in Chicago. With the new COVID protocols, the media has limited field access and conducts the postgame interviews from the stands. As I left the field, I snapped a few shots of Kirk as he waited for the cameras to roll. It seemed fitting that he had a big smile on his face after winning "The Big Game" (Monday Night Football vs. a divisional rival). It doesn't get much better than that. - Kam
SCHEDULED TO BECOME A FREE AGENT:
Sean Manion (unrestricted free agent)
2020 Stats: None (spent entire season on 53-man roster)
Mannion just completed his second season with the Vikings as Cousins' backup, a job he filled perfectly. He was another set of eyes for Cousins on the sideline in games and earned praise from teammates and coaches his football IQ in meeting rooms.
There's a chance Mannion returns in the same role he has filled the past two seasons. But if the Vikings want to give Browning or Stanley a shot at this job, perhaps they move on from Mannion, who has made two starts in six total NFL seasons.
OUTLOOK:
Cousins has been thrown around by outside media as a trade candidate, but Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer brushed off that speculation in February when he said, “Kirk’s our guy.”
And while he has shown he can play at a high level in Purple, Cousins also isn't getting any younger. The quarterback has two years remaining on his current contract and will turn 33 in August, so the Vikings could begin mapping out what his long-term future looks like.
If Minnesota feels it can win with Cousins down the road, the Vikings could stand pat in free agency and the draft. But the Vikings could also start looking a few seasons ahead to determine the future of that position.
Cousins' durability has been impressive. He's started 95 of a possible 96 regular-season games since 2015 and would have a perfect streak going had Zimmer not opted to rest most starters in the 2019 finale to prepare for the playoffs.
That could reduce some perceived need at the backup QB position, but the Vikings history of injuries to starting QBs between 1978 when Fran Tarkenton wrapped his Hall of Fame career and Cousins' arrival in 2018 is not a distant memory.
The Vikings, after all, needed four different quarterbacks to start at least one game between 2015-17, and Sam Bradford's 17 in that span were the most.
WHO'S POTENTIALLY OUT THERE?
NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal recently released his list of the top 101 potential free agents.
The following quarterbacks are listed in order of their overall rankings: 1. Dak Prescott, 23. Jameis Winston, 26. Cam Newton, 30. Ryan Fitzpatrick, 48. Andy Dalton, 63. Jacoby Brissett, 82. Tyrod Taylor and 101. Mitchell Trubisky.
There could be plenty of quarterback movement this offseason around the league, including a handful of trades of well-known names. Prescott tops this list and offers plenty of intrigue. He missed the final 11 games of the 2020 season with an ankle injury and was playing on the franchise tag this past season.
Trubisky is a familiar name to Vikings fans. The 2017 No. 2 overall pick went 29-21 in four seasons with the Bears, but had a 5-2 record against the Vikings in that span. He gets credit during this five-game win streak for the September 2019 game that he left early because of injury.
