NFL
By Steve Rogers
The Minnesota Vikings joined the NFL in 1961. Since then they have had 39 different starting quarterbacks. In over six decades the Vikings have only ever had one true franchise quarterback Fran Tarkenton. Tarkenton played for the organization in two separate stints in two different decades, from 1961 through 1967 and again from 1972 through 1978 when he retired. Tarkenton is still the all-time leader in wins as a Vikings quarterback with 93. Tarkenton is the leader in most quarterback categories of all time for the Vikings. He is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It has now been five decades since the Vikings have had a starting quarterback play for the team for more than six seasons. In fact, the Vikings have never had a quarterback play for the team for 10 or more years. It’s one of the benchmarks of a franchise quarterback.
What have the Vikings done at the most important position in the NFL for the last 40-plus years? Well, they’ve tried a bit of everything from drafting to free agency and trading for other teams’ franchise quarterback. Tarkenton himself was a 3rd round pick. His heir apparent was indeed the first time the Vikings took a quarterback in the first round, Tommy Kramer. The Vikings have only drafted a quarterback in the first round five times ever!
Tommy Kramer 1977 27th
Daunte Culpepper 1999 11th
Christian Ponder 2011 12th
Teddy Bridgewater 2014 32nd
J.J. McCarthy 2024 10th
Based on this list it looks like they have found some consistency and or hit on most of their first-round picks. The outlier is Ponder who might go down as the WORST pick in Vikings history at quarterback or any other position. Culpepper was probably the closest to being considered a franchise Quarterback. Before a knee injury and a disagreement with the new head coach Brad Childress over his rehab ended his tenure as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. After an impressive rookie season, many fans and experts thought Bridgewater was on his way to becoming the next Vikings franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, he too suffered a catastrophic gruesome knee injury in a freak accident during training camp in 2015, which was essentially the end for him in Minnesota as well.
Historically the Vikings have tried to fix/fill their quarterback needs by signing or trading for a proven veteran leader at the helm. Which has led to a very mixed bag of results. In 1993 the Vikings turned to the Chicago Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon. The very next year they signed 38-year-old and 10-year Houston Oiler starting quarterback Warren Moon. Moon lasted three years. Moon is the third quarterback to wear a Vikings uniform and be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Not done there the Vikings then called Randall Cunningham OUT of RETIREMENT after 11 seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback. In 1999 the Vikings signed veteran journeyman Jeff George. While Moon and Cunningham managed to put up some big regular season numbers playoff success was still escaping Minnesota. George in his one season did manage to win one playoff game over the Dallas Cowboys (27-10).
Quarterback Gus Frerotte was with the team twice between 2003-2004 and again in 2008. The Vikings found themselves in need of a starting quarterback going into the 2009 season. So they did what they do best and reached all the way out to the retirement pool and hooked future Hall of Famer Brett Favre. After one mostly magical season the Vikings still came up a play or two shy of making it to the Super Bowl. Thus began the dark times. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it(lol). The Vikings signed another one of Philadelphia’s most prolific passers Donovan McNabb. After a 1-5 start McNabb looking nothing like his former self was replaced by Christian Ponder. The Vikings then tried to see if Matt Cassel could be successful on his third team.
Then Josh Freeman passed through town. Shaun Hill even started the opening game of the 2016 season allowing for a third Eagles quarterback to get acclimated after a last-minute trade at the end of training camp, Sam Bradford. Bradford also joined the Vikings as his third team in the NFL. Bradford probably had the most potential and talent while also marking the youngest incoming quarterback. After being the number one overall draft pick in the 2010 draft. Unfortunately, complications with a previous knee injury cut his time in Minnesota short as well as his career. The Vikings finally found stability over the past six years with Kirk Cousins. Faced with the option of possibly overpaying for the aging veteran coming off his first major injury an Achilles tear the Vikings chose to move on from the quarterback.
This brings us to the current 2024 season where the Vikings’ new regime is taking a drastically different approach. First, they signed Sam Darnold to a one-year $10 million contract. Yes, the Vikings are the fourth team for him but let’s be honest there was never really much talent around to help him in New York (Jets) and the same was true with the Carolina Panthers. Let’s see if a stacked skill position group of guys a solid offensive line and an offensive-minded head coach and former quarterback himself Kevin O’Connell.
This is not only Darnolds best opportunity to shine but probably his last if he doesn’t excel now he’ll be lucky to be a backup quarterback. The Vikings also traded up in this year’s draft and used the 10th pick in the first round to draft Michigan’s National Champion quarterback J.J. McCarthy. That is the highest draft pick the Vikings have ever used on a quarterback. So, the Vikings currently have two top 10 drafted quarterbacks in their locker room both of whom are under 28 years old. One former top-five pick with a chip on his shoulder with something to prove and another young and hungry kid fresh off a National Championship collegiate career. Pressure creates diamonds and iron sharpens iron. As it stands now this might be the strongest the Vikings have ever looked from the quarterback position.
