Vikings May Need a New QB2 — Here Are 10 Options
Minnesota Vikings QB2 Sam Howell has not played well to date at training camp, prompting questions from fans about a contingency plan.
Sam Howell has struggled at Vikings training camp, raising concerns about the backup quarterback position. If Minnesota looks elsewhere, here are 10 realistic QB2 options the team could explore.
The team also has veteran Brett Rypien and rookie Max Brosmer on the current roster, men who could realistically grab the QB2 post from Howell if he doesn’t rectify his slow start.
But if the Vikings wish to upgrade the quarterback room with an outsider to support J.J. McCarthy in 2025, these are 10 options and how general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could pursue them.
Vikings QB2 Options in Case of Emergency
Sam Howell may not quite cut it in 2025 if training camp is a reasonable indicator.
Tyler Huntley
Current Status: Free Agency
How to Get Him: Sign Him Outright
Huntley is available on the free-agent wire, and the Vikings — or any other team — could sign him today. In the past, the Baltimore Ravens have trusted Huntley with the QB2 job behind Lamar Jackson. If he’s good enough for Baltimore, he’s good enough for the other purple team.
FTW’s Christian D’Andrea noted on Huntley last week as an option for the New York Jets: “Huntley is arguably the highest profile quarterback still unsigned as training camps open (assuming Teddy Bridgewater won’t return to the league until high school football season is over, if at all). The last we saw, he went 2-3 in relief of Tua Tagovailoa with the Miami Dolphins.”
“He has some familiarity with the AFC East. While he’s not the runner Fields is he’s averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per scramble across his NFL career (he was also a 2022 Pro Bowler. The Pro Bowl designation is meaningless for quarterbacks).”
Trey Lance
Current Status: On Chargers’ Roster
How to Get Him: Post-Cutdown Market or Trade
Lance will be in action this Thursday night during the NFL’s first preseason game. There’s a decent chance that he’ll be dropped next month amid roster trimdowns, and Adofo-Mensah could pounce if he wanted to take a flyer on Lance’s once glorious upside.
SBNation‘s Rohan Chakravarthi wrote about Lance this week: “He then entered the 2022 season as the team’s starter, but suffered an ankle fracture that cost him his entire sophomore campaign just two games into the year. With Brock Purdy emerging as the team’s starting quarterback after a strong rookie year, Lance competed with Sam Darnold to be the team’s backup in 2023, but lost the competition and was subsequently traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.”
“Now, he’s with the Chargers after signing a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason that included $1.5 million guaranteed. While it seems likely he’ll make the roster, Lance is looking to push for the backup spot, and will get significant game reps on Thursday to open up the NFL’s preseason.”
Skylar Thompson
Current Status: On Steelers’ Roster
How to Get Him: Post-Cutdown Market
Thompson is unlikely to make the cut in Pittsburgh and could do some damage with Kevin O’Connell’s mentorship.
Mike White
Current Status: On Bills’ Roster
How to Get Him: Post-Cutdown Market or Trade
By backup quarterbacks’ standards, White set the world on fire in 2021 and 2022 with the Jets but hasn’t rekindled that performance since. He appeared to be a volume passer — O’Connell loves that — and could turn some heads with the Vikings.
He may or may not be released by the Bills in four weeks. Buffalo already has Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback.
Zach Wilson
Current Status: On Dolphins’ Roster
How to Get Him: Trade Late-Round Pick
Perhaps the most exciting option, Adofo-Mensah could dangle a 6th-Round pick in front of Dolphins GM Chris Grier and see if he bites. Wilson and O’Connell would cook together.
On Wilson, he’s the primary backup to Tua Tagovailoa, an injury-prone passer, so Minnesota would have to fire up a trade here. Wilson won’t be cut later this summer.
Jameis Winston
Current Status: On Giants’ Roster
How to Get Him: Trade Late-Round Pick
A couple of national outlets have floated a Winston trade to Minnesota. The Giants may be content with rookie Jaxson Dart and veteran Russell Wilson. However, the Giants’ brass reportedly wants a “Godfather” deal for any Winston trade. No thanks.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Current Status: On Eagles’ Roster
How to Get Him: Post-Cutdown Market
Linked to the Vikings here and there during the 2023 NFL Draft process, Thompson-Robinson will probably hit free agency when the Eagles shave their roster to 53 players soon. He’s mobile and big-armed.
Clayton Tune
Current Status: On Cardinals’ Roster
How to Get Him: Post-Cutdown Market
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell inevitably scouted Tune during the build-up to the 2023 NFL Draft. He may be dropped by Arizona soon. O’Connell will already know if Tune is his kind of guy.
Carson Wentz
Current Status: Free Agency
How to Get Him: Sign Him Outright
Arguably the most likely alternative, Adofo-Mensah could sign Wentz today, and boom, the Vikings would have a sure-fire backup quarterback competition on their hands. Wentz is the highest-profile free-agent quarterback on the open market.
Bailey Zappe
Current Status: On Chiefs’ Roster
How to Get Him: Post-Cutdown Market
Zappe has started nine games, mostly with the New England Patriots, in three NFL seasons. He was a 4th-Rounder in the 2022 NFL Draft, meaning O’Connell would’ve done his homework on him three years ago.
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