Vikings Rumors: The Left Tackle Problem, 50% or Less, and Aaron Rodgers Common Sense
Even if we’re officially in the portion of the year when Vikings rumors are quieting down, we’ll still be highlighting some of the purple rumblings.
The “Vikings Rumor Wrangle” is a series that keeps readers informed on what’s being whispered about in Vikings Land. In this iteration, we discuss Minnesota potentially having a problem at left tackle, the draft classes shrinking by 50%, and some common sense for the Aaron Rodgers theories.
Vikings Rumors: 11.27.2024
Rumor #1 — The Vikings Could Have a Left Tackle Issue
Discussed this one earlier in the week.
Christian Darrisaw, of course, is the major loss since we’re talking about one of the game’s elite offensive tackles; he has been lost for the season. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reinforced the position by adding Cam Robinson at the trade deadline, but the Week 12 win over the Bears involved the new addition coming out of the game due to an injury.
Does a Vikings rookie — backup tackle Walter Rouse — need to step into the primary backup role? Even worse, would he need to be leaned on if there was another injury?
Robinson is working through a foot injury. The simple fact that he didn’t return to the game isn’t a good sign but it’s possible a full week of rest/treatment will result in him being ready to roll in time for Week 13.
If not, then David Quessenberry — the veteran swing tackle — seems likely to step into that starting job. And, to be sure, that’s the right call. Quessenberry, 34, has seen a ton since getting scooped up in the 2013 NFL Draft. He won’t offer elite play but he’ll offer passable play, which may end up being good enough for a week or two. The problem that could arise is if Quessenberry gets dinged up. Who else is there at offensive tackle?
Walter Rouse may be forced into action if Cam Robinson is still nursing his injury in Week 13 and then something happened to David Quessenberry. Yes, that’s a lot of things that need to go wrong, but that’s a possibility Minnesota’s coaching staff will surely be working through in the coming week.
Otherwise, the team could slide Blake Brandel over to left tackle and then shuffle things around at guard to make it all work.
Rumor #2 — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is Shrinking Down to 50% of his Picks Sticking Around
Trending in that direction even though we’re talking about a situation where we’re not even three years on from his initial draft.
Back in 2022, Adofo-Mensah added ten new players to the roster. Three of those players have been cut: Lewis Cine, Akayleb Evans, and Esezi Otomewo. Two of those players have been traded away: Andrew Booth Jr. and Vederian Lowe. Minnesota is left with Ed Ingram, Brian Asamoah, Ty Chandler, Jalen Nailor, and Nick Muse. Only Nailor can be said to have a reasonably prominent role, but even then we’re still talking about the team’s WR3.
Worse yet, the 2023 crew has fallen into the same trap. Minnesota’s GM was more modest in that draft, onboarding just a half dozen players. The commonality rests in the mere fact that half of that crew — three of the six players — are already gone. All of Jaquelin Roy, Jaren Hall, and DeWayne McBride have been cut. Jordan Addison looks like a stud, Mekhi Blackmon has potential but is lost for the season due to injury, and Jay Ward is mostly a special teams player.
The hope is obviously that things will have turned a corner with the 2024 NFL Draft, a group headlined by J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner. Kicker Will Reichard was looking like a home run of a pick before his injury, so the hope is that he’ll keep performing at an excellent level once he returns to health. Otherwise, there’s a lot of pressure on those top two picks: McCarthy and Turner.
Rumor #3 — Aaron Rodgers to MIN Gets Doused by Common Sense
To be sure, hearing the words coming from one of the foremost Vikings insiders helps, but this one should be relatively obvious to most people who follow the team.
In a SKOR North clip on social media, Darren Wolfson offered his thoughts on the idea of Aaron Rodgers venturing over to Minnesota: “No, I don’t see any scenario where Aaron Rodgers lands here in Minnesota one year from now.” “I don’t see any scenario,” Wolfson later says, “where Aaron Rodgers is a Viking in 2025.”
Rodgers will turn 41 in December. Quite possibly, he’ll have interest in joining the Vikings. After all, Kevin O’Connell demands huge respect around the league, the weapons are elite, and the tackle tandem (when fully healthy) is second to none. Arguing that Rodgers may want to venture to Minnesota isn’t hard to fathom. What’s harder to fathom is Minnesota reciprocating the interest.
Nevertheless, Wolfson does mention one intriguing name: “I will say this: if we’re talking about a New York quarterback landing here, let’s talk about Daniel Jones.” As a QB2, Jones makes a ton of sense, as I argued not too long ago.
Keep an eye on the QB spot when the offseason gets going.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.