Vikings Add New QB
Do you like hometown connections?
The Vikings do, too, enriching their quarterback room Thursday by adding former Minnesota Golden Gophers passer Tanner Morgan.
Vikings Add New QB
With three days to go before the Vikings host the Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted, “The Vikings are signing rookie QB Tanner Morgan to the practice squad, per source. A homecoming for the former University of Minnesota standout.”
For Minnesotans, Morgan should be wildly familiar, spending five seasons as the Gophers quarterback, a hop, skip, and jump away from the Vikings home stadium. Now, on the Vikings roster, albeit on the practice squad, Morgan joins this QB room:
- QB1: Kirk Cousins
- QB2: Nick Mullens
- QB3: Jaren Hall
- QB4; Tanner Morgan
At the University of Minnesota from 2018 to 2022, Morgan accounted for 9,469 passing yards in 51 games, with 65 passing touchdowns and 32 interceptions. He finished his collegiate career with a 62.2% completion rate and 8 rushing touchdowns.
Then, the 2023 draft cycle arrived, and Morgan found no new team during the three-day event. However, the USFL’s Michigan Panthers scooped the young quarterback, but Morgan declined the invitation. He later joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent for summer roster auditions but was waived on August 28th, hitting the free agent pool for six weeks.
The Steelers opted to roll with a QB threesome of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph and are 2-2 through four weeks of 2023 accordingly. Morgan saw limited action in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, diming 5 completions on 8 attempts for no touchdowns and an interception. He briefly appeared in the following preseason contest, too.
Departing the University of Minnesota, Morgan was perceived as a career-long backup-style quarterback, an accurate forecast through a few months of NFL experience. He doesn’t possess elite traits as a pro quarterback but instead does everything somewhat well, just not at a starter’s level.
The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs scouted Morgan earlier this year, “Morgan can be a pretty savvy passer, especially after building up so much sweat equity in the Minnesota system. He shows good control of his offense and an understanding of when and where to take his throws. He consistently makes good decisions in the RPO game to slot the ball behind scraping LBs and is capable of hurrying his process here to get the ball out clean through the mesh point. He’s willing to pull the trigger before his receivers are out of the top of their breaks, showing effective anticipation for spot throws to hit timing routes and ensure he’s keeping the offense on schedule.”
Vikings QB2 Nick Mullens popped up on this week’s injury report with a minor back injury, causing limited participation in Wednesday’s practice and perhaps explaining the Morgan acquisition.
The Vikings have no other QBs on the practice squad at the moment. Many Vikings fans familiar with Morgan’s career at the University of Minnesota were generally unenthused by the move on social media.
Morgan, 24, is the only Gophers alumnus on the Vikings roster at the moment.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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