Vikings Linked to Once Promising QB in Rumor Mill
The Minnesota Vikings lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the season to a torn meniscus last week, spiraling the rumor mill into chaos over his possible replacement if Sam Darnold doesn’t pan out.
Vikings Linked to Once Promising QB
Darnold is on tap to lead the team in Week 1 and beyond, but the 27-year-old has never found much success in the NFL. Too, the Vikings experienced three quarterback injuries last year to Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall, and the club evidently might need more oomph now behind Darnold, Mullens, Hall, and newly signed passer Matt Corral.
Insert Kenny Pickett, says CBS Sports. That website sized up 10 players who could be traded in 2024, with Minnesota as a possible landing spot for Pickett.
“Even after a relatively underwhelming summer, the Philadelphia Eagles would surely prefer to keep Pickett’s NFL experience onboard as insurance for Jalen Hurts. The ex-Pittsburgh Steelers starter has never enjoyed a better supporting cast,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote.
The Steelers drafted Pickett in Round 1 two years ago, and they didn’t take long to trade him to Philadelphia this offseason. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will take over at quarterback in Pittsburgh.
Benjamin then name-dropped the Vikings as a landing spot for Pickett and added: “That said, the Eagles are always in the business of collecting/flipping quarterbacks, and third-stringer Tanner McKee has shown enough poise to warrant No. 2 consideration in back-to-back years. Pickett is local to the Philly area, but he’d almost certainly sign off on a chance to get right back into a starting gig, adding to the appeal of another move.”
Pickett has thrown 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 24 NFL starts, along with 179 passing yards per game, and banked 4 total rushing scores in Pittsburgh. The Steelers had a 14-10 (.583) record on his watch. He ranked 26th of 30 qualifying quarterbacks last year per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric adjudicating all passers.
As for the Vikings spending draft capital on a Pickett trade, well, he likely wouldn’t provide much of an upgrade over the current QB2, Nick Mullens, so any quarterback trades would probably involve an injury to Sam Darnold, which Minnesota hopes to avoid. It’s also worth noting that the Vikings had a chance to trade for Pickett this offseason — and did not.
CBS Sports also mentioned the Los Angeles Chargers as a theoretical landing spot for Pickett.
Vikings Coach Called a “Terrible Person”
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.