Vikings' latest QB change shows why they should re-sign Kirk Cousins

Before he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in a Week 8 win against the Packers, Cousins excelled, completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 TDs, five picks, and an outstanding 108.3 passer rating. The four-time Pro Bowler is on a one-year, $35M contract. Per Spotrac, his market value is a three-year deal worth $39.6M.

Giving the 35-year-old a new deal carries come risk. Per The Athletic's Greg Scholz, it can take six months to fully recover from an Achilles tear, and "older athletes tend to have longer recovery times."

However, the Vikings (7-8) have lost four of their last five games and fallen out of playoff contention due to inconsistent QB play. In four starts, backup QB Joshua Dobbs went 2-2 and threw the same amount of TDs and interceptions (five). Mullens went 0-2 and had more picks (six) than TDs (four).

Hall — a fifth-round pick out of BYU — started in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. He completed 5-of-6 passes for 78 yards before exiting with a concussion. Don't be surprised if he struggles against the Packers (7-8), who have won four of their last six.  

"It's definitely tough without him being there," star wide receiver Justin Jefferson said in a Wednesday news conference. "His leadership. His knowledge of the game. His awareness. There's definitely something missing not having that main piece out there on the table."

Even though questions about his future linger, it's clear Minnesota needs Cousins to reclaim the NFC North next season.