Where Are the Vikings in the NFL Power Rankings as the Offseason Gets Started?

The wild ride that was the Minnesota Vikings’ 2023 season has come to an end. They started 1-4, won five in a row, and then lost five of their last six to finish short of the playoffs at 7-10. They started four different quarterbacks, lost all kinds of key contributors to injury, and turned the ball over like crazy. There were flashes of excellence on both sides of the ball, but also inconsistency and too much adversity to overcome.

As the Vikings prepare to enter a critical 2024 offseason, let’s take one final look at the national power rankings to see what various analysts thought of Minnesota’s odd season.

Conor Orr, SI.com: No. 25 (Down 3 spots)

The Vikings had one of the most enjoyable winning streaks of the season, and when it was time to shove their chips to the center of the table, they traded for the Passtronaut and let it ride. I will forever have respect for that team, even though they are back in the unenviable position of paying off Kirk Cousins’s new minivan in free agency this offseason.

Josh Kendall, The Athletic: No. 23 (Down 1 spot)

What’s next: The No. 11 pick

The first order of offseason business probably will be working out a new contract with Kirk Cousins. After that, it’s finding an edge rusher. Chop Robinson, the 6-3, 250-pound Penn State pass rusher, or Laiatu Latu, the 6-5, 265-pounder out of UCLA, will be tempting options.

Eric Edholm, NFL.com: No. 22 (Down 1 spot)

The Vikings have now reached a flashpoint, finishing off a challenging Year 2 under Kevin O’Connell, and they’re heading into an offseason of unknowns. The biggest one is at quarterback, of course, where Kirk Cousins’ status is the top storyline going right now. His contract voids in March. While a separation felt somewhat natural at the time of Cousins’ season-ending injury, back in October, it now feels as if the Vikings must do everything they can to at least first consider a short-term deal to keep Cousins in Minnesota before seeking options. Then again, Cousins turns 36 during training camp and will be coming off Achilles rehab. There’s also the matter of Justin Jefferson and his inevitable contract extension. Can the team get that done along with retaining Cousins? Watching Jefferson return from injury to dominate with a rotating cast of characters at QB might make some think Cousins is expendable. But if O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah enter their critical third year together — often a legacy-defining season for coach-GM combos — without more stability at QB, their tenure could end up being far shorter than one might have expected after their 13-4 record in 2022.

Frank Schwab, ! Sports: No. 22 (Down 1 spot)

Minnesota has to figure out who its 2024 quarterback is, and it gets a little more complicated because they’re likely to sign receiver Justin Jefferson to an extension that looks like a quarterback deal. It will be an important and interesting offseason.

Bleacher Report Staff: No. 21 (No change)

After a 13-win 2022 season and an NFC North championship, the Minnesota Vikings entered 2023 with high expectations. But thanks in part to serious injuries to players such as quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the campaign descended into disappointment

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 22 (Down 1 spot)

They found out what it looks like without Kirk Cousins. They have to try and bring him back.

Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk: No. 24 (No change)

When the season mattered most, they disappeared.

David Helman, FOX Sports: No. 24 (Up 1 spot)

Similar to the Bengals, the Vikings deserve a lot of credit for simply keeping it together. Kirk Cousins went down before Halloween, and Minnesota still managed to keep its playoff hopes alive until Week 18. Unlike the Bengals, there’s not as much to build on. Cousins is both injured and headed for free agency, and now we wait to see just how drastically things are going to change in Minneapolis.