Unexpected Roster Battle Ignites for Vikings
Thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings have no true roster battle for the QB1 spot this summer, handing the job to 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy, whom the club drafted in the 1st Round 14 months ago.
One Vikings quarterback battle, involving Sam Howell and Brett Rypien, has sprung up out of nowhere, and fans must keep an eye on it this summer.
Yet, after McCarthy on the depth chart, the outlook is less clear. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded for quarterback Sam Howell on Day No. 3 of the draft last month, and most assumed, “That’s the backup for McCarthy right there.”
That may not be true.
Sam Howell v. Brett Rypien QB2 Battle Is Real
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson joined The Mackey and Judd Show this week, and among several Minnesota sports topics, Wolfson mentioned a blossoming QB2 battle that most don’t expect — Sam Howell versus Brett Rypien.
Wolfson said, “I’m telling you, that’s a legit battle. Brett Rypien v Sam Howell. To think it’s a 100% foregone conclusion that Sam Howell is the next man up? No. Hold your horses. That’s a legit battle, July into August, Howell versus Rypien.”
Known for accuracy, Wolfson’s comments about the apparent QB2 battle should be trusted.
Misinterpreting Howell’s Role?
Howell played as a full-time starter with the Washington Commanders in 2023, damn near passing for 4,000 yards and delivering 26 total touchdowns. Because of that production — Rypien has no such continuity on his resume — fans (and websites like this one) were quick to nominate Howell as the instant QB2 for 2025.
The Wolfson theory vehemently suggests otherwise.
Indeed, Howell has more regular season experience, but that can no longer be cited as clear evidence that he’ll win the QB2 job for the Vikings this summer. An honest-to-goodness QB2 competition could be on the way at training camp and in the preseason, which is probably how it should be.
The Rypien Epiphany
Remember from free agency to the draft, when Vikings fans waited for the club to sign a backup quarterback? Players like Drew Lock, Gardner Minshew, Joshua Dobbs, and many others found new teams, while the Vikings basically did nothing, singing Rypien’s praises along the way.
In fact, some fans became rather impatient with the Vikings’ reluctance to sign another quarterback behind McCarthy, suggesting the team didn’t care about the position or that it had forgotten.
Well, if Howell has to battle Rypien this summer, perhaps the team really was comfortable with Rypien the entire time. It would explain why Adofo-Mensah signed no free-agent quarterbacks; he and Kevin O’Connell actually love Rypien for the job.
Whoodathunkit, eh?
Hoping Neither Is Needed
The ideal scenario in 2025 — unlike 2024 — is that no extra quarterbacks are needed. McCarthy missed all his rookie season with a torn meniscus, promoting Sam Darnold for 17 games of service.
The backup quarterback post is important for situations like last year’s, but the Vikings are due for a season of clean health from McCarthy. In that vein, onlookers will hope the job title between Howell and Rypien won’t matter.
Vikings fans are more focused on QB2s than most fan bases.
More on Rypien from PurplePTSD
Janik Eckardt at our partner site, PurplePTSD, wrote about Rypien this week: “Rypien, the nephew of former NFL QB Mark, a Super Bowl MVP, went undrafted out of Boise State in 2019. A productive player with over 13,000 passing yards and 90 scores to 29 interceptions, he did enough to earn a contract with the Denver Broncos following the draft, preferring the AFC franchise over numerous other offers.”
“For two seasons, he moved between the practice squad and the 53-man roster various times. In his third year, he finally had more consistency and was part of the 53-man roster all year. His 2023 campaign was the normal life of a journeyman, spending some time with the Rams, Jets, and Seahawks, and in 2024, he was with the Bears in the preseason and joined the Vikings after his release. Minnesota surprisingly cut sophomore passer Jaren Hall to make room for him.”
Howell is 24 years old; Rypien is 28.
Eckardt added, “In his NFL career, Rypien started four games (he appeared in ten), completing 98 of 168 passes (58.3) for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and an alarming number of nine interceptions. He has yet to see the field for the Vikings.”
“Wolfson noted that Howell would be the favorite to win the job. Still, it could be a position to watch in training camp and the preseason.”
The QB2 battle will take shape in July at training camp and could be front and center in the preseason games thereafter.
Vikings Qualify for an Intrusive Thought
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