As if there isn’t enough to talk about with the Vikings, another storyline has developed thanks to a Canadian Football League quarterback speaking out.
Bo Levi Mitchell, a 29-year-old quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders, said this week that he worked out for the Vikings last offseason and impressed the Vikings enough that an unnamed team official asked him how he could help them win.
Mitchell, the reigning Most Outstanding Player in the CFL, answered by saying he’s won championships at every level he’s played and added: “I’m going to come in here and I’m going to take Kirk’s (Cousins) job.”
Those are the words that came out of Mitchell’s mouth on Oct. 2 episode of “The Bow Show” on Sportsnet 960 in Calgary.
Per Mitchell, the Vikings staffer didn’t like that. No, we don’t want you to do that. We want you to come in here so we have a good quarterback room. Help teach him things, help be a supporter of him, but don’t cause
“He was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. We don’t want you to take Kirk’s job. We want you to come in here, help him with his eyes, tell him what you see, do everything you can to make him a better quarterback. But we need a good quarterback room, we don’t want you to cause controversy.’ At that moment I was like, ‘Well, I’m not signing with the Minnesota Vikings,'” said Mitchell.
Mitchell doesn’t make it clear if the Vikings ever actually offered him a job.
“I don’t understand that thought process,” he continued. “All that tells me is there’s a culture in that building right now that ‘hey, your job is secure because of the money we paid you. Don’t worry about anything you do or the decisions you make or anything the media says, just do what we tell you to do and you’re going to be fine.’”
“It’s mind-blowing,” he added. “You don’t even want a guy that’s pushing him.”
Cousins has this year and next remaining on his $84 million contract, so it’s highly unlikely that Mitchell would’ve unseated Cousins going into the season. But the way Cousins has played so far this season, who knows what the case would’ve been if the Vikings had signed Mitchell.
Mitchell passed for 5,119 yards with 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while leading Calgary to the Grey Cup title in 2018.
