A Cautionary Tale for the Vikings from Indianapolis
In the last quarter-century, the Minnesota Vikings have started 21 quarterbacks in football games. That’s 21 different quarterbacks in 25 years — a new signal-caller every 19 games.
Read them and weep:
- Brooks Bollinger
- Todd Bouman
- Sam Bradford
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Matt Cassel
- Kirk Cousins
- Daunte Culpepper
- Randall Cunningham
- Brett Favre
- Josh Freeman
- Gus Frerotte
- Jeff George
- Shaun Hill
- Kelly Holcomb
- Tarvaris Jackson
- Brad Johnson
- Case Keenum
- Sean Mannion
- Donovan McNabb
- Christian Ponder
- Spergon Wynn
Somehow, the Vikings are the NFL’s 11th-best team per wins and losses during the timeframe, winning 53.6% of games. Despite absolute topsy-turvy movement at QB1, Minnesota has stayed relevant in the upper crust of the league’s superior franchises.
But this quarterback instability is not favorable, leading one to wonder just how much better the team could be if they found a quarterback to retain. It’s always — habitually, like clockwork — on to the next one for Minnesota after Fran Tarkenton’s retirement.
Eastward, the Indianapolis Colts have encountered a similar quarterback carousel in the last six years, attempting to navigate gridiron life after the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck. Here’s the skinny on the Colts since 2016:
- 2016: Andrew Luck
- 2017: Scott Tolzien
- 2018: Andrew Luck
- 2019: Jacoby Brissett
- 2020: Philip Rivers
- 2021: Carson Wentz
- 2022: ???
Let this be a cautionary tale for the Vikings, perhaps in the midst of trading quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Minnesota fired Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer two months ago, pivoting to an era of change and youth in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell. If that twosome wishes to trade Cousins for a better path forward — great.
But realize the risk.
Minnesota would trade a passer who is damn good but not quite elite — even though Vikings fans desperately want to force Cousins into an elite tier. Put bluntly, Cousins isn’t as good as a Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers — and he never will be.
Yet, he does float in the conversation with Matthew Stafford, who won a Super Bowl last month after a career rejuvenation with a team believing in him. Oh, and that team’s offensive coordinator is the Vikings new head coach.
The Vikings might trade Cousins and embark on the future with a rookie quarterback, likely paired with a patchover quarterback. That plan is wonderful, and most fans can rally behind it.
Conversely, it is not inconceivable the Vikings would end up like the Colts — another structurally sound organization like Minnesota — twisting and turning annually while trying to nail down the quarterback position. The Vikings have unabashedly done this before — most of the 1990s and early 2000s — so fans have the stomach for it.
The lesson? Jumping with two feet into finding the next Mahomes or next Burrow is an ultra-exciting idea. Lurking, though, is the Colts cautionary tale of swinging-and-missing in efforts to “get it right.”
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
Vikings Territory Also Read: Bears Claim Vikings Surprise Cut
You must be logged in to post a comment.