Questions Answered: Alternate Helmets, Options after Rudolph, Kyle Sloter in AFC
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the July 24th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: If the Vikings hop on the alternate helmet train, what do you expect them to wear in 2022?
A: One week ago, we would’ve said, “The Vikings won’t do anything. They never shake up the helmets.”
But now, the alternate helmet trend almost feels mandatory in the NFL. So, we’ll bite.
If the Vikings don’t simply throwback to 1970s or 1980s uniforms, they are most likely to wear the black helmets for the very first time. It seems the popular takeaway for alternate helmets is black, and you can even buy the one pictured on NFL.com.
Anything new and neat would be an exciting change of pace, but we’ll formally predict black if the franchise does anything at all. And remember — this isn’t a full uniform change for all games. No need to panic. The alternate helmets and uniforms are typically for one game only.
Q: Since Rudolph won’t be signing with the Vikings, who else could Kwesi Adofo-Mensah target for TE2?
A: There is a handful, none of whom are TE1 candidates anymore but could instead be serviceable TE2s.
- Jared Cook
- Eric Ebron
- Jimmy Graham
- Blake Jarwin
We’ll endorse Ebron because he has a knack for the endzone and isn’t crazy old. With training camp starting Sunday, the TE2 puzzle will come together, and we should know in the coming weeks if Johnny Mundt is truly the plan for Irv Smith’s backup.
Q: With Kyle Sloter signing in Jacksonville, do you think he’ll make the team?
A: Yes. Believe it or not, Sloter may actually make the team down in Jacksonville, perhaps even as a QB2.
Behind the QB1 Trevor Lawrence, it’s C.J. Beathard and now Sloter. The team waived QB3 E.J. Perry with an injury designation on Sunday — a good omen for Sloter.
This is it, folks. Sloter, 28, finally has a fair shot at winning a QB2 job — on his seventh NFL team. We expect him to make the Jaguars 53-man roster, a QB3 at the very least.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
