Minnesota had some clear and obvious choices for the Ring of Honor among defensive players on the team. However, on offense, it gets a little more complicated.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of talented players on offense, and if they continue at the statistical pace they are at, could one day be considered good enough to enter the Ring.
But there are some question marks surrounding many offensive players as well. Can all of them stay healthy? What if their best years were a flash in the pan, and not a trend for the future? Also, can they take the team further in the playoffs? These are the expectations that often fall on the top players on any NFL team, but I think the Vikings happen to have a lot of players who are held to those standards.
That said, here are some possible players, who might one day end up with a long and prestigious Vikings career.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen
Little-known fact about Adam Thielen: the Vikings wide receiver went to Mankato State University. OK, so that’s a joke, and most people know that, but Thielen is more than a home-state hero or a feel-good story at this point: he’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Thielen had two consecutive seasons — 2017 and 2018 — where he had more than 1,000 receiving yards. This season, he was nursing a hamstring injury for much of the year, but he still managed 418 receiving yards in 10 regular season starts. He also had a clutch over-the-shoulder catch in the playoffs against the Saints.
If he continues at the rate he’s going, he should go down in history as one of the best Vikings receivers, and that’s saying a lot.
Running back Dalvin Cook
Cook’s production when he’s healthy is undeniable, the problem is he’s not always healthy.
However, Cook is coming off a season where he played in all but two games. One of those games was week 17, too, which didn’t have any playoff implications, so it’s likely he would have sat out anyway.
In 2019-20, Cook totaled 1,135 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s still young, and if he can improve while staying healthy, there’s no telling how good he could be.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
So this one will probably make a lot of people angry, but hear me out. Cousins hasn’t been stellar with the Vikings so far, although he’s still managed 56 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions in two seasons.
The biggest criticism of Cousins is that he can’t win big games, but the quarterback was stellar against the Saints, and the 49ers defense caused problems for every offense it faced in the playoffs, even the Chiefs until they pulled off the comeback Super Bowl win.
Do I think Cousins belongs in the Ring of Honor right now? No. Do I think if he keeps improving, in an offense that now caters to his skill set, he’ll end up one of the better quarterbacks the Vikings have had? I do.
