The 5 Best Rookie Seasons in Vikings History
The Minnesota Vikings have two rookies this season with lofty expectations — quarterback J.J. McCarthy and outside linebacker Dallas Turner, both selected in Round 1 three months ago.
The 5 Best Rookie Seasons in Vikings History
Six Vikings players have won Rookie of the Year since 1961, and all of them played offense, a remarkable stat, indeed.
Overall, though, these are the top five rookie seasons from Vikings players, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = best rookie campaign)
First, the Honorable Mentions:
- Fran Tarkenton (1961)
- Paul Flatley (1963)
- Carl Eller (1964)
- George Rose (1964)
- Sammy White (1976)
- Gary Zimmerman (1986)
- Orlando Thomas (1995)
- Kevin Williams (2003)
5. Percy Harvin (WR)
2009
The Numbers:
Rookie of the Year
2,081 All-Purpose Yards
8 TDs
Harvin became a Viking with storybook timing, joining the club a few months before Brett Favre signed on for two seasons. He and Favre clicked instantly, and the Vikings almost won a damn Super Bowl.
The Vikings didn’t keep Harvin for too long, but his skillset would thrive in today’s NFL. That’s why fans randomly see Harvin highlights circulate the internet about thrice annually.
4. Chuck Foreman (RB)
1973
The Numbers:
Rookie of the Year
1,163 Yards from Scrimmage
6 TDs
The Spin Doctor is another player, like Harvin, who would excel in 2024. He ran the ball like a bellcow RB1 and caught passes like a WR, a tendency the Vikings have lacked since the end of Dalvin Cook’s prime.
Foreman joined the NFL in 1973 and quickly sprinted to five straight Pro Bowls. In 1975, he caught 73 passes from Fran Tarkenton and even nibbled at MVP contention during the prime of his career.
A cool factoid about Foreman? He remains active in the Vikings community and engages fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, quite frequently.
3. Justin Jefferson (WR)
2020
The Numbers:
1,400 Receiving Yards
7 TDs
Jefferson had a strong case for No. 2 on this list, as he set the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in a single season. Unfortunately for him, his pal and LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase outdid him for the record one year later.
The Vikings wideout climbed the league’s WR pecking order with the snap of two fingers in 2020, nominated by most as the best wide receiver in football at the moment.
He was even showcased in Netflix’s Receiver docuseries this summer. Too, Jefferson will be a Viking for the long haul, inking a four-year, $140 million contract in June.
2. Adrian Peterson (RB)
2007
The Numbers:
Rookie of the Year
1,609 Yards from Scrimmage
13 TDs
Even though the Vikings employed a fabulous running back in Chester Taylor during the 2007 offseason, they drafted Peterson anyway.
The decision was as shrewd as it was wonderful.
Taylor immediately took a backseat to RB2 as Peterson took the NFL by storm, shattering the single-game record for rushing yards (296) in his first season. The record stands today. Peterson also made the team his own for arguably seven seasons, keeping the Vikings afloat during an era of quarterback carousel.
Peterson ranks fifth all-time in rushing yards, trailing Barry Sanders for fourth place by 351 yards.
He has not expressly retired as of July 2024.
1. Randy Moss (WR)
1998
The Numbers:
Rookie of the Year
1,313 Receiving Yards
17 TDs
Moss had the best Vikings rookie season ever and perhaps the top rookie season in NFL history. His acrobatic style of catching the football in 1998 was utterly unprecedented and hasn’t really been rivaled since.
Just like Peterson, but nine years prior, Moss seized the Vikings organization and made it his team.
No WR has topped his 17 receiving touchdowns as a rookie. And that’s even in a pass-happy league the NFL has embraced over the last decade. His 1,313 receiving-yards mark in a rookie campaign fell thanks to Odell Beckham, and the aforementioned Jefferson and Chase, but the 17 touchdowns are untouched.
Moss also holds the single-season receiving touchdowns record (23), set with the New England Patriots in 2007.
Texans Sign Former Vikings Player
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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