The Minnesota Vikings are facing a critical offseason, and there is significant pressure on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. As he enters his third year leading the franchise’s personnel decisions, the honeymoon is long over.

He had an easy run in 2022 when the Vikings would go on to shock the football world by winning the NFC North with ease as they forged a 13-4 record. They fell to 7-10 in Year 2, but a major injury to quarterback Kirk Cousins was the primary reason. Adofo-Mensah had banked on Cousins staying healthy, but a torn Achilles was the first major injury of his 12-year NFL career.

That injury came shortly before the Vikings reached the midway point of the season, and it proved to be their undoing because they did not have a competent backup. They nearly lucked out when they acquired Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals at the trade deadline, but his magic disappeared after his first two games.

The Vikings have multiple decisions to make throughout the offseason, but the two biggest involve Cousins and dynamic pass rusher Danielle Hunter.

There’s a very good chance that the Vikings will sign one but not the other. Letting Cousins sign elsewhere while making sure Hunter stays in the fold is the right move for the franchise.

Cousins is an accurate passer who was having an excellent season at the time of his injury. He has an excellent rapport with Justin Jefferson, the best receiver in the NFL, as well as head coach Kevin O’Connell. However, when it comes to playing great football against elite teams, Cousins has fallen short throughout his career.

There is no reason to believe that aspect is going to change at this point in his career. The belief here is that the Vikings must take one of the top rookie quarterbacks available in this year’s draft. No, they are not going to be able to select Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, but that’s OK. If they get either Michael Penix or Bo Nix, they will be in solid shape.

They must also sign a veteran backup quarterback to man the position until their rookie quarterback is ready. Cousins will likely cost $40 million or more, and that money is better spent elsewhere.

While the Vikings can afford to pass on Cousins, they must bring back Hunter. He is their best defensive player and he is coming off a career-best 16.5 sacks. He is the lynch pin to defensive Brian Flores’ unit.

The Vikings took a major step up the ladder last season throughout the majority of the season with their defensive play. There was some backsliding in the final month of the season, but Flores has built a defense that gave the Vikings a chance to win most weeks.

They should only get better, but they must sign Hunter. He is a brilliant athlete who has excellent technique. When he is healthy – as he has been the last two seasons – he is capable of taking over a game.

Realistically, the Vikings need at least one more free agent on defense to help Hunter, but they can’t win without him.

The NFL’s legal tampering period begins March 11 and teams can sign free agents March 13. The Vikings need to bring Hunter back if they want to have hope of a winning season in 2024.