Out of Nowhere, Vikings Try Out Veteran Quarterback
The Minnesota Vikings hosted a bunch of rookies at last week’s rookie minicamp at TCO Performance Center. As they neither drafted nor signed any first-year quarterbacks, a couple of tryouts were on the field to toss the rock to the young receiving group.
One of those was undrafted rookie Aidan Bouman, son of ex-Vikings passer Todd Bouman. The South Dakota quarterback is a long shot to make a name for himself in the NFL. Someone who has already done that is veteran Cooper Rush, who was surprisingly part of Minnesota’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
A long-term backup in the league, Rush remains without a team. The Vikings don’t particularly need another signal-caller in the building, with four already under contract, but it’s still smart to have a foot in the door in case of an emergency later in the offseason or during the 2026 season.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell had to rely on QB4 in 2023 and on QB3 in 2025,
The skipper told the media, “It’s almost like a free agent visit. He gets to know us; we get to know him. He’s played a lot of football over the years in the National Football League and had very productive times in his journey, and we get him for our time here.”
Rush has appeared in 42 career games with 16 starts. In fact, his very first NFL start came on Halloween in 2021 when he lit up Mike Zimmer’s defense with 325 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-16 Cowboys victory.
“I told him there’s nothing that ever can come out of this from a negative standpoint, getting to step on the grass and put on a Vikings helmet,” O’Connell added. “We now know Cooper; he knows a very, very small portion of some of the things we do offensively, but I think it can open up that world to him if there’s an opportunity in the future, he can make that a very positive situation for himself and become our first phone call. So I thought it was a real positive thing.”
Rush, 32, played his college ball at Central Michigan, threatening school records with nearly 13,000 passing yards and 90 touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2017 and the Cowboys added him to their offseason roster. In three seasons with the Cowboys, he attempted three passes and was mostly a depth player behind Dak Prescott.
After a few months with the division rival Giants in 2020, Rush returned to the practice squad. This time, Prescott’s injury struggles opened the door for him to get some playing time. Last year, Rush played for the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, he couldn’t replicate the solid backup-caliber play he delivered in Dallas, recording four interceptions and zero touchdowns in a couple of starts.
Despite his subpar play in 2025, it’s quite surprising to see the experienced passer without a job in May. In 38 games and 14 starts in Dallas, he registered 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, resulting in a 9-5 record.
Kyler Murray is expected to start for the Vikings in 2026, but J.J. McCarthy wants to defend his starting gig. A competition could unfold over the next few months. Even behind those contestants, the franchise has emphasized quarterback depth, with veteran Carson Wentz returning for a second season. Max Brosmer, last year’s undrafted rookie, could benefit from another full offseason.
If the Vikings are again hit by the injury plague, Rush could make some headlines later this year. For now, he heads back to the free agency pool and awaits calls from NFL teams.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
You must be logged in to post a comment.