Vikings Territory: 3 Vikings Personnel Facing ‘Make Or Break' Seasons

Press release from Vikings Territory:

July 2, 2021

Mediocre Year. Division Championship. Mediocre Year. NFC Championship. Mediocre Year. Playoff win. Mediocre Year.

Because Zimmer enters his eighth adventure, Kirk Cousins possesses a large contract, Dalvin Cook is in his physical prime, and Adam Thielen isn’t getting any younger, the Vikings have once again renewed their subscription to “all-in” stakes for the 2021 campaign. The subscription is annual.

These are those men.

Well, the Vikings will find out in 2021. More so than any other Vikings player, Bradbury is facing the most implicative make-or-break pressure. Quite honestly, the masses are not sure if Bradbury will turn out to be worthy of a 1st-Round pick. The men [to date] next to him on the Vikings offensive line are not productive players, so perhaps he needs two men next to him that are competent. He should have that in 2021 with Ezra Cleveland and Wyatt Davis. Now more than ever, Minnesota will decide if Bradbury takes the proverbial next step. Year Three is a natural and apropos time for it.

Borderline Captain Obvious stuff here, Cousins’ fourth season with the team is the punctuating barometer for his long-term prognosis with the Vikings. If he thrills and guides the team deep in the playoffs, he will be back in 2022 – likely with a contract extension. Should the Vikings finish 8-9 or so, missing the postseason for the third time in four years of his leadership – it will become time to transition to Kellen Mond. From Texas A&M, Mond was chosen this April from the NFL draft, presumably with a purpose to start in Minnesota down the road.

This is the referendum. Zimmer must reach the playoffs – and probably win a game or two – to coach the team in 2022. His make-or-break stakes shape the enterprise more than anyone else.

The puzzle pieces are back – and then some with Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, and Bashaud Breeland. All the offense must do is replicate 2020’s output under Gary Kubiak’s familial replacement, Klint Kubiak.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory. The views expressed here are the author’s own.