If the Vikings have their way, they will agree to terms with franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins before he officially becomes a free agent. That much general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell made very clear after watching the Vikings implode this season once Cousins went on injured reserve.

The collective struggles of veteran Nick Mullens, rookie Jaren Hall and journeyman Josh Dobbs underscored Cousins’ value. There’s a good chance the Vikings would be in the playoffs competing for a Super Bowl if he never got hurt.

The sense of stability that Cousins brings shouldn’t be overlooked considering he plays the most important position in sports. It also shouldn’t stop the Vikings from selecting a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

You want to talk about a competitive rebuild? This is the first time Adofo-Mensah has truly had the opportunity to put that convoluted term into practice. He could remain competitive by retaining Cousins, while continuing the rebuild by bringing in his eventual replacement.

As much as some would argue the Vikings should simply move on from Cousins — including this particular columnist — the best path forward might be living in multiple timelines.

There is a blueprint for success within the NFC North division as the Green Bay Packers created a succession plan for franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They selected rising quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft despite the tension it created.

After awkwardly coexisting for a few seasons, Rodgers got shipped off to the New York Jets, and Love took over as the starter for the Packers. The results have spoken for themselves with Love already looking like a special player with the potential to be a star.

If the Vikings are as hellbent on keeping Cousins as they say, they should try to copy what the Packers have done.

There will be a number of options for the Vikings to make a splash with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft if they’re brave enough to do it.

Though they won’t be in the conversation to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams, UNC quarterback Drake Maye or LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels unless they give up a massive haul to vault themselves ahead of some other teams in the draft, the Vikings should be set up to take Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Oregon quarterback Bo Nix or Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy when they’re on the clock.

Most of those prospects would benefit from some time to develop behind Cousins rather than being thrown directly into the fire. There are a lot of moving parts in the offense that O’Connell wants to run and it might be tough for a young player to hit the ground running.

If the Vikings stick with Cousins, they could also take an impact player at another position, then trade back into the first round if Penix, Nix or McCarthy start to fall.

There’s precedence for that type of move as nearly a decade ago the Vikings traded back into the first round to take Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater after he started to fall in the draft. Something like that would make sense as it would allow the Vikings to maximize the talent in the present while also preparing for the future.

Frankly, no matter what the Vikings decide to do with Cousins, there’s absolutely no reason for the Vikings to exit the 2024 NFL Draft without a quarterback.

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