Vikings training camp position preview: Quarterbacks

We're taking a look at each Vikings position group as training camp gets underway this week. Today: Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall

In: Hall (fifth-round pick)

Out: Josh Rosen (contract expired after season)

Though the future at quarterback is perhaps the most important question facing the Vikings, the depth chart for 2023 might be as clear as it is for any position on the roster.

Kirk Cousins — 12th-year veteran, four-time Pro Bowler and pivotal figure in the Netflix "Quarterback" series — returns for his sixth season in Minnesota, working with the same play-caller (Kevin O'Connell) in back-to-back season for the first time since 2016-17. The Vikings hope Cousins is primed to take another step in O'Connell's offense. And in the process, the 34-year-old could earn one more long-term contract from the team that would allow him to finish his career in Minnesota.

He is scheduled to be a free agent following the 2023 season, though, after talks with the Vikings about a new deal stalled over matters of guarantee structure. With Cousins set to pass Daunte Culpepper for the third-most starts in franchise history, his future in Minnesota beyond this year could hinge on how well he plays and how much common ground he can find with the Vikings on a contract.

The fact the team did not pull off a trade to move up and select one of the draft's top three quarterbacks — Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson — means Cousins is the unquestioned starter for this season. The most intriguing QB subplot in training camp might be the development of Hall, who impressed the Vikings enough in the predraft process to merit a Day 3 draft selection.

No. 2 quarterback. Cousins has not missed a game because of injury in his time as a starting QB. But the opening scenes of "Quarterback" juxtaposed shots of vicious hits to Cousins' ribs with footage of him reading a book to his son about how "an injury to the quarterback can sink a team's entire season." Cousins was hit more than any QB in the league last season, and the Netflix series showed how hard he worked to stay on the field through rib injuries in 2022. Mullens gives the Vikings a steady backup and resource for Cousins, which also means Hall can develop at his own pace. There's likely no urgency for the Vikings to push Hall up the depth chart. But if the BYU product is impressive early, he could also force a change in plans.

Cousins. This never really changes; the quarterback has been the focal point of training camp just about every year he's been in Minnesota, and there are several things worth watching in 2023: how he connects with new targets such as Jordan Addison and Josh Oliver, how effectively he's protected (particularly in joint practices against the Titans and Cardinals) and whether he's taken a step forward in his second year with O'Connell. The Vikings are optimistic about what their offense can be with Cousins at the controls in Year 2; training camp will provide the first substantive look into where it could go.

How quickly will Hall develop? The Vikings seemed optimistic after their offseason program about how quickly the rookie was picking up their offensive concepts, but he'll have to make a large shift from BYU's offense to an NFL scheme, especially one that places as much responsibility on quarterbacks as the Vikings' offense does. O'Connell likes to set up practice snaps where backups face starters; if Hall gets any chances to face the Vikings' starting defense, those snaps could provide an early indicator of his progress.