Quarterback Jaren Hall’s road to starting full-time for the Minnesota Vikings may soon hit another roadblock.
Hall got his first taste of being an NFL starting quarterback in 2023 with two starts — one was cut short by a concussion on his second drive — but he finished the season fourth on the Vikings’ depth chart behind Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens and Joshua Dobbs. Based on rumors and reports following the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, his position may not improve much this season.
With free agent Cousins possibly signing elsewhere, several NFL pundits have mocked free agents, draft prospects and quarterbacks who could be traded — including a former BYU quarterback — to the Vikings.
Will the Vikings trade for a quarterback?
On Monday, Rich Eisen reported that he heard at the combine that Minnesota could trade for Trey Lance, who lost his job with the San Francisco 49ers to Brock Purdy and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in August. The Cowboys only gave up a fourth round pick for Lance, who’s a Minnesota native.
Lance never saw the field last season and was last on Dallas’ depth chart. Dak Prescott started every game, and when the Cowboys needed a quarterback for garbage time minutes, they turned to Cooper Rush.
The Vikings have also been linked to Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, Hall’s predecessor at BYU.
Last week, Wilson was given permission to seek a trade, as previously reported by the Deseret News. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt considers Minnesota the “most intriguing potential destination” for the former BYU quarterback.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young thinks being coached by the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell could help Wilson’s NFL career.
In January, Young said Wilson needed to get to a team with an innovative, offensive mind at the helm and mentioned the Vikings as one of the eight teams where he thought Wilson had the best chance of revitalizing his career, the Deseret News. But he thinks the Los Angeles Rams would be the better fit.
“There’s these innovative minds taking advantage of the rule changes,” Young said. “(Wilson) needs to get to one of those spots. He needs to join forces (with them). If we’re going to see anything out of Zach Wilson into the future, he needs to get away from these places that are not quarterback friendly.”
Russell Wilson, who was released by the Denver Broncos Monday, could be another option for Minnesota.
Will the Vikings draft a quarterback?
If the Vikings aren’t impressed with their free agent options, they can look to the draft.
Minnesota currently has the 11th overall pick, and barring a trade, the top three quarterback prospects will likely be off the board by the time they’re on the clock.
Following the combine, NFL experts see Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. as options for the Vikings if they stay put, according to Vikings beat reporter Lindsey Young.
The Vikings could also retain Cousins and draft a young quarterback they could develop this season, which could keep Hall at the bottom of the depth chart or even cost him his spot on the roster.