Wilf, Vikes gape playoff contention amid QB alternate

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Minnesota Vikings‘ looming quarterback transition and apparent long-vary understanding has mad fans and added an inspiring level of mystery to their soccer operations. It has no longer, on the other hand, changed ownership’s expectations for the team’s temporary competitiveness.

Talking for the predominant time because the Vikings done their 2023 season with a 7-10 fable, their fewest wins in a season since 2013, proprietor/president Mark Wilf made clear that his family soundless thinks the team must have for the long flee whereas winning within the new. He acknowledged that accidents played a job in final season’s fable but acknowledged that his family is “no longer going to relaxation on that.”

“We’re looking to gain every single sport and each step along the style,” Wilf acknowledged. “So how that falls, what’s going to happen on the realm, we are going to see. It be predominant our fans to know that that is continually our dedication and that is the reason how we capacity it. On the identical time, we believe the style we’re constructing this goes to get to sustained success. We’re, love our fans, no longer entirely chuffed with our fable final year. We’re looking to be competing for playoffs, championships, division titles and Trim Bowl championships, all the above.”

The Vikings made quarterback Kirk Cousins what Wilf called a “severe provide” to dwell with the team in 2024, however the Atlanta Falcons obtained the bidding by totally guaranteeing the predominant two years of their provide. The Vikings replaced Cousins with free agent Sam Darnold and are hoping to draft their quarterback of the long flee next month.

Asked what made him believe the Vikings might possibly furthermore gain and compete for a playoff situation amid that transition, Wilf acknowledged: “I feel it goes to happen. I relate it goes to happen. I relate it has took position in other organizations as correctly, and that is the reason what we are looking ahead to can happen.”

Wilf later added that his family has continually tried to relate “long-interval of time and no longer to be knee-jerk” and acknowledged: “We try to wait and see as owners the correct we are able to interior a in actuality competitive atmosphere.”

Cousins overlooked eight video games final season due to the a ruptured Achilles, and receiver Justin Jefferson overlooked seven due to the a hamstring peril. Injuries on defense furthermore played a job within the Vikings losing six of their closing seven video games.

“That’s portion of the game,” Wilf acknowledged. “That’s something you’re going to want to be ready for and I feel [general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell] might be the predominant to instruct you they grab that on themselves. And I feel frankly, [there is] some optimism for this coming season. I feel a wide selection of younger gamers bought some predominant taking part in time final year, so we’re looking ahead to a superb upward push on that entrance. If it develop into an precise and simple science, we might possibly no longer have 32 groups vying love we terminate.”