Kirk Cousins returns? Vikings' smartest move after 10-week QB carousel could be a recommitment

Wednesday afternoon, while Jaren Hall was conducting his first press conference as a starting quarterback in the NFL and Joshua Dobbs was trying to figure out where the bathrooms are located at TCO Performance Center, a trophy sat on a table by the couches in the Vikings' locker room.

The top line read: "Minnesota Vikings''

The bottom line read: "Jeopardy''

Which is the equivalent of a trophy that reads:

"The Titanic"

"Wet"

The Vikings are overly familiar with jeopardy, the noun, and now face a reality-based game show in which three quarterbacks have nine games over 10 weeks to prove they belong in the NFL.

Hall will get at least a half to prove himself on Sunday in Atlanta. Dobbs is the next quarterback up. Nick Mullens is recovering from a back injury and could play later in the season.

So here are the 4-4 Vikings, on a three-game winning streak, following a 13-victory season, with their first-round draft pick (receiver Jordan Addison) and Brian Flores' defense surging, and they'll be holding quarterback tryouts.

History tells us that a backup could lead the Vikings to the playoffs. Bob Lee, Wade Wilson, Randall Cunningham and Case Keenum have thrived for at least one season, and Keenum is the most relevant to the team's current predicament.

Keenum wasn't very good before he became the Vikings' starter in 2017. He hasn't done much since. For a 15-game stretch in 2017, Keenum became an ideal fit.

Dobbs in particular is the kind of smart and mobile player who could take advantage of this opportunity. Dobbs also is 1-9 as an NFL starter and has completed 62% of his passes, with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

If Kirk Cousins put up those numbers during any 10-game stretch of his career, he would now be coaching youth football in Holland, Mich.

Cousins has given everyone every opportunity to hold every possible opinion of him. I lobbied for the Vikings to sign him, was disappointed by his leadership and clutch play once he arrived, and expected the new Vikings' regime to move on from him within a year or two.

Then everything changed.

Cousins, mired around the .500 mark for most of his career as a starting quarterback, is 17-8 as a starter under coach Kevin O'Connell. He is playing exceptionally well this season. Where once he could have been fairly ranked in the middle of the pack of NFL starting quarterbacks, now he's edged toward the top tier. Depending on context and criteria, you could rank him anywhere from seventh to 12th — probably closer to seventh if the criteria are based on this year's performance.

Cousins has proved he fits the Vikings offense, and he has developed into a beloved leader. He couldn't do that under Mike Zimmer, who didn't want Cousins and didn't like him. It's difficult for a quarterback to lead under those circumstances.

The Vikings' outpouring of affection for Cousins, and the tears they shed when he was injured, are an accurate reflection of Cousins' new reality. He is playing and leading perhaps like never before. He is driving franchise success, although it's fair to say that he, like the rest of this roster, needs to prove they can win in the postseason.

Cousins is 35. There is little doubt he will dedicate himself to overcoming his Achilles tendon injury. He's otherwise in excellent condition.

He's prolific, durable and accurate.

There will always be an example of a franchise drafting a miracle quarterback and never looking back. But for every Patrick Mahomes, there are 100 Christian Ponders.

Look at the NFC North. The first-place team traded for an accomplished veteran. The second-place team and defending division champion signed an accomplished veteran. The two currently hopeless franchises, Green Bay and Chicago, invested a first-round pick and inordinate hope in a talented youngster, and each may be years away from recovering from the mistakes they made on Jordan Love and Justin Fields.

The Vikings can throw extra assets at moving up in next year's first round to take a quarterback. They can hope that a promising quarterback falls to them. Or they can re-sign Cousins, and stay in the fight.