After the 2017 season, the Vikings ditched the quarterback who led them to a 13-victory season and a playoff win in favor of a much more expensive quarterback who would win just eight games and misse the playoffs.
So the Vikings blew it, right?
Well, yes. It's Rick Spielman's job to acquire good players and win games, and the 2018 season turned into a disaster relative to expectations. By the last game, the new quarterback, Kirk Cousins, was publicly demonstrating his predilection for blame-sharing, grandiosely teaching routes to his Pro Bowl receiver on the sideline.
Spielman, the Vikings' general manager, signed Cousins to a three-year deal worth a guaranteed $84 million and can do little more than hope Cousins will miraculously improve as a leader and clutch performer over the next two seasons.