Gunslinger QB Could Be on Vikings Trade Radar
The worst-kept secret regarding Minnesota Vikings football at the moment is that the roster has no backup quarterbacks behind J.J. McCarthy other than Brett Rypien.
Gunslinger QB Could Be on Vikings Trade Radar
Most fans refuse to believe Rypien is capable of holding down the fort at QB2, so every time a player like Joe Flacco signs with the Cleveland Browns or Case Keenum signs with the Chicago Bears, folks freak out, thinking the Vikings have forgotten about a backup quarterback.
The same scenario happened over the weekend with Drew Lock, who joined a new team via free agency, and his move also activated Minnesota’s theoretical trade radar for a certain quarterback — Sam Howell.
Drew Lock to Seahawks
NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted last Friday, “Reunion: Veteran QB Drew Lock agreed to terms with the Seahawks, per source. One of the pieces of the Russell Wilson trade, Lock is now back for a second stint in Seattle, this time backing up Sam Darnold.”
The Seahawks cut ties with quarterback Geno Smith this offseason, signing former Vikings signal-caller Sam Darnold after Darnold’s mostly fantastic 2024 campaign. Darnold delivered 36 total touchdowns in Minnesota last year, along with 4,319 passing yards.
Until Friday, Sam Howell was on deck to support Darnold as the QB2, but with Lock in the mix, Howell received a de facto demotion to QB3.
Which also means he could be on the trade block.
Sam Howell Expendable?
In addition to Darnold and Howell, Seattle also has ex-Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall on the roster. It’s a crowded house at quarterback for the Seahawks at the moment.
Most interpreted Lock to Seattle as a clear relegation for Howell. The former Washington Commander, if he remained on Seattle’s depth chart, would vie for a roster spot later this summer against Hall, two men duking it out for QB3 duty.
But Howell is more of a QB2 than Hall, so trading Howell seems like the most logical outcome. The Vikings, arguably the only NFL squad at the moment with a vivid QB2 need, would make sense as a dance partner.
And Minnesota is severely unlikely to trade for Hall, a man it cut loose last summer from its own depth chart.
In 2023, as a 17-game starter, Howell delivered 3,946 passing yards with 21 passing touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Not good, right? Nope — but Darnold also wasn’t any good until Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell got his hands on him.
Therefore, the working theory suggests that O’Connell, widely known as a “quarterback whisperer,” could tweak some of Howell’s footwork, for example, and squeeze the goodness from his tool kit — as he did with Darnold.
Howell can likely be obtained via trade for a 6th-Round draft pick or so.
Vikings with No QB2 Outside of Brett Rypien
Aaron Rodgers dominated the Vikings’ rumor mill for a few weeks last month, but in the backdrop, Minnesota signed no quarterbacks as many flew off the free-agent board to other teams. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had ample time and options to add a QB2 behind McCarthy but just never did.
Fast forward to mid-April, and players like Howell are the final options unless the Vikings are content waiting until the late summer when more veteran quarterbacks hit free agency after roster trimdowns.
Many view Minnesota’s QB2 decision-making as paramount because McCarthy has no regular season experience and is recovering from a torn meniscus. But the Vikings, as a front office, emphatically have not shared that sense of urgency.
Seattle Media on Howell
The News Tribune‘s Gregg Bell wrote about Howell, “Lock’s return puts the 24-year-old Howell’s future with the Seahawks in doubt.”
“Lock’s new Seahawks contract is for longer than Howell is signed with Seattle. Howell’s rookie contract ends after the 2025 season. The Seahawks inherited it from the Commanders for Washington’s fifth-round pick in 2022 out of North Carolina. He is scheduled to have a base salary of $1.1 million this year.”
The big knock on Howell through a few seasons is his weakness to hang in the pocket too long and take sacks.
Bell added, “All of that is not guaranteed. The Seahawks could release Howell at any time between now and the next season beginning and owe him nothing, without a salary-cap charge into the 2025 season. Smith left Seattle last month. The team traded him to Las Vegas, in a reunion with former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, following a brief contract impasse.”
QB2 Options Otherwise
If the Vikings do not fully trust Rypien with backup quarterback duty — they might, and folks just can’t stomach it yet — the options behind McCarthy have dwindled. In fact, via free agency, the credible options have shrunk to Carson Wentz and Ryan Tannehill.
Should the Vikings make Wentz their target, he can be signed after the 2025 NFL Draft when a free-agent contract won’t cancel any 2026 compensatory draft picks. Regarding Tannehill, well, he can be added at any time and won’t ruin the compensatory picks.
The Vikings could also explore non-Howell trades. For example, Tennessee Titans passer Will Levis may be attainable after that franchise drafts Miami’s Cam Ward in 10 days.
Howell will turn 25 in September. A trade for his services could occur during the draft or sometime in the spring.
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