Do the Vikings need a “veteran” backup at quarterback?

With the loss of Trevor Siemian to the New York Jets in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings now have just two quarterbacks on the roster. They have Kirk Cousins, who they’re married to for the next two seasons as the starter, and they have young Kyle Sloter, who they’ve kept on the roster for the past two seasons after the Denver Broncos dropped him before the start of the 2017 season.

The Vikings are reportedly set to meet with former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Sean Mannion on Monday. As we mentioned when the rumor first started appearing that the Vikings were interested in Mannion, he may technically meet the definition of a “veteran” quarterback, but he’s really not. In four seasons, he’s thrown just 53 passes in regular season action, has started just one game, and has yet to throw a touchdown pass in a meaningful game.

Now, if the Vikings feel the need to bring in another quarterback, there really isn’t a whole lot left out there in free agency. Here are some of the names that currently highlight the list of available free agent quarterbacks outside of Mannion.

• Josh McCown - Now 40 years old and might not even be interested in playing anymore.
• Josh Johnson - Played for half the teams in the league and was plucked from the AAF to start the last couple of games for Washington in 2018.
• Geno Smith - Ugh.
• Brock Osweiler - See Geno Smith.
• David Fales - Been in the league longer than Mannion and has thrown fewer passes.
• Mark Sanchez - You serious, Clark?

With the dearth of options available, as well as a lack of salary cap space as things stand right now, it’s worth asking whether or not the Vikings even need a “veteran” backup at the quarterback spot.

It’s obvious that the Vikings like Kyle Sloter, and with good reason. Quite frankly, he looked significantly better than Siemian did last preseason, and he appears to have significant upside for a guy that’s entering his third season in the league. Yes, he’s yet to take a snap in a regular season game, but honestly. . .is his lack of experience really that much of a detriment compared to guys that have been in the league for four years and has started just one game?

Judging from what I’ve seen on social media and other places, I think the majority of Vikings fans would like to see the Vikings roll into the season with Sloter as the primary backup to Cousins, and maybe roll the dice on a mid or late-round prospect in this year’s NFL Draft, like a Tyree Jackson or a Brett Rypien or an Easton Stick to fill Sloter’s previous role as the #3 quarterback/clipboard holder.

What do you think about the Vikings’ backup quarterback situation, folks?