Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Quarterbacks
1. Fran Tarkenton
Even though Norm Van Brocklin was reluctant to start him, Fran Tarkenton was the first quarterback in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. He’s also, easily, the best quarterback in franchise history. The Vikings have been trying to find their next franchise quarterback since his 1978 retirement. Tarkenton has a bust in Canton. At the time of his retirement, he held every career passing record. He held those records longer than any quarterback ever has.
2. Tommy Kramer
3. Daunte Culpepper
4. Kirk Cousins
While the #1 quarterback in Vikings franchise history is easy. #2 isn’t easy. In my opinion, there are three contenders. Tommy Kramer was selected in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft to be the next franchise quarterback. He had the talent to be the next one. There were many moments during his 13 years in Minnesota in which he looked the part. Unfortunately, his career was peppered with a variety of injuries. He played every game in a season only twice in those 13 years. One of those was the strike-shortened 1982 season. He made one Pro Bowl. Daunte Culpepper and Kirk Cousins each played for the Vikings half as long as Kramer but had more productive seasons. Culpepper edges Cousins in this ranking mostly for his MVP-level 2004 season. Both Culpepper and Cousins ended their Vikings career with season-ending injuries. Culpepper’s injury essentially ended his career.
5. Joe Kapp
Joe Kapp only played three seasons for the Vikings but he was the quarterback and fiery leader as the team moved from hapless expansion team to one of the best teams in the league. He guided the Vikings to their first Super Bowl. To get to Super Bowl IV, the Vikings won the 1969 NFL Championship. That’s something.
6. Warren Moon
Warren Moon only played 2.5 seasons for the Vikings. They were his age 38 - 40 seasons. He may have been at the end of his brilliant Hall of Fame career but he was excellent in those 2.5 seasons. He and Cris Carter were a blast to watch together. Few quarterbacks have ever thrown a prettier pass.
7. Brett Favre
Brett Favre holds the seventh spot of this ranking for his terrific 2009 season. It was arguably the best year of his long Hall of Fame career. That season should’ve ended with a Super Bowl win.
8. Randall Cunningham
As with Brett Favre, Randall Cunningham makes this ranking for his outstanding 1998 season. Also like Favre, that season also should’ve ended with a Super Bowl win.
9. Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson was supposed to be the Vikings starter in 1998. An injury opened the door for Randall Cunningham. Johnson’s Vikings story is one of what might’ve been. It’s difficult to imagine the season going better with Johnson rather than Cunningham but the former had the starting quarterback job entering the season for a reason. With Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Jake Reed catching passes and Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard running, nearly any quarterback would shine.
10. Teddy Bridgewater
What if Tommy Kramer’s career hadn’t been taken apart by injuries? What if the Vikings had been able to draft Bernie Kosar? What if the Vikings hadn’t bailed on Rich Gannon so early? What if Daunte Culpepper’s career hadn’t been ruined by that knee injury? There are a lot of “what if’s” regarding the quarterback position in Vikings franchise history. Teddy Bridgewater is another. The Vikings and Bridgewater were on the rise when his knee exploded just before the start of the 2016 season. Ultimately, the injury didn’t end his career but it was the beginning of the end of his Vikings career. We’ll never know if Bridgewater would’ve hit the high hopes that I had for him.
Up Next: The Running Backs.
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