The 5 Former Vikings in the Super Bowl
Super Bowl LVIII is less than 24 hours away, set in Las Vegas for the first time ever.
The Kansas City Chiefs downed the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship two weeks ago, while the San Francisco 49ers completed the largest comeback in NFC Championship history to down the Detroit Lions. So, it’s the Chiefs and 49ers in a Super Bowl rematch from four years ago.
The 5 Former Vikings in the Super Bowl
As part of the contest, five former Minnesota Vikings personalities will partake. These are those men listed alphabetically.
1. Blake Bell
TE | Chiefs
This Chiefs playmaker is the TE3 behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. He isn’t an item with Taylor Swift, but he did catch 5 passes for 26 yards and a touchdown this season. Bell played 251 offensive snaps in 2023 and is used mostly for blocking.
The Oklahoma alumnus had a brief stint with the Vikings in 2017, seeing action in 13 games before departing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, and of course, the Chiefs thereafter.
He’s the type of player who could score a touchdown in the Super Bowl while most fans would say, “Who’s that?”
2. Jesse Davis
OT | 49ers
Davis joined the Vikings momentarily at the start of the Kevin O’Connell era. Minnesota added him in March 2022, and he remained for five months. Initially, Davis was on deck to compete for the right guard spot, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shipped him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a late-round draft pick late in the summer of 2022.
For now, he’s a practice squader on the 49ers roster and may or may not physically play in the big game against the Chiefs. Probably not.
3. Klint Kubiak
Passing Game Coordinator | 49ers
Kubiak led the Vikings offense as offensive coordinator inside an underwhelming 2021 season, an 8-9 campaign that led to the terminations of general manager Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer. Coaching staffs are rarely retained when a new coach takes over, and with the Vikings two years ago, Kubiak was no different.
He latched on to the Denver Broncos coaching staff the following season but didn’t survive the switch from Nathaniel Hackett to Sean Payton. In San Francisco this season, the 49ers passing game ranked tops in the NFL per DVOA, with Kubiak as the passing game coordinator.
He’ll take over as the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator after Super Bowl LVIII.
4. T.Y. McGill
DL | 49ers
Like the aforementioned Davis, McGill is a practice squad member on the 49ers roster who faces a longshot to play in the Super Bowl. But stranger things have happened.
McGill is a classic journeyman with this NFL resume:
- Seattle Seahawks (2015)
- Indianapolis Colts (2015–2016)
- Cleveland Browns (2017)
- Kansas City Chiefs (2018)
- Los Angeles Chargers (2018)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2018)
- Los Angeles Chargers (2018)
- Washington Redskins (2019)
- Los Angeles Chargers (2019)
- New Orleans Saints (2019)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2020–2021)
- Washington Football Team (2021)
- Minnesota Vikings (2021–2022)
- San Francisco 49ers (2022–present)
He had a terrific summer showing for Minnesota in 2022 but was ultimately cut and landed with the 49ers.
5. Jerick McKinnon
RB | Chiefs
McKinnon was activated Saturday, formally ending his recent stint on injured reserve. He served as a Vikings RB2 from 2014 to 2017, filling in admirably when Adrian Peterson was suspended in 2014, and Dalvin Cook was hurt in 2017 and 2018.
The Super Bowl is also a “revenge game” for McKinnon after he joined the 49ers in 2018 but fell victim to injuries in 2018 and 2019. McKinnon was even a part of the 49ers team that lost in the Super Bowl to Kansas City four years ago.
McKinnon should receive at least a few touches against his old team on Sunday night.
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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