The Vikings’ Absolute Best Option to be the Main Backup Quarterback in 2025
The Vikings’ absolute best option for QB2 in the upcoming season is to make a move for Drew Lock, a talented passer who is still out there on the free-agent market.
Crucially, the signing needs to wait until after the 2025 NFL Draft.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been hard at work rebuilding his roster, signing a lot of notable talent at notable positions. Somehow, he has managed to thread the needle, bringing in significant reinforcements while nevertheless giving himself a projected pair of comp picks. In fact, Adofo-Mensah even confirmed that compensatory picks are factoring into his decision-making for remaining free agents at his recent press conference. Waiting until after the draft to snag Lock would mean preserving these picks.
The Vikings’ Absolute Best Option at QB2: Drew Lock
Start off with some basic information about Mr. Lock.
The passer is 28 and has been in the NFL since 2019, where he got snagged at No. 42 — the top half of the 2nd Round — in the draft. He stands at 6’4″ and weighs 228 pounds, giving him a perfect build to be a quarterback. Even more fascinating is that he ran a 4.69 forty, an excellent time for a quarterback that suggests we’re talking about a high-level athlete (for whatever it’s worth, Kevin O’Connell ran a 4.61 back in ’08).
The results of Lock’s career have been modest, to say the least. His career record sits at 10-18; his career completion percentage is coming in at 59.6%. Add up all of the touchdowns and interceptions and Lock is coming in at 34 scores against 28 aerial turnovers.
Even more drab is that his career-best mark on PFF is a very average 63.5. Otherwise, he has been in the low 60s or even down in the 50s. Not great, folks.
But, of course, there are all the arguments that we heard about Sam Darnold. Similarly to Darnold, Drew Lock is a talented passer with great size and athleticism who has struggled in his NFL career, as evidenced by a subpar record and completion percentage. O’Connell, though, was able to work wonders with Mr. Darnold, coaxing a (mostly) excellent season out of the former journeyman.
Lock, if signed, would be tasked with being the backup. J.J. McCarthy would still be the top option. The upside would simply rest in the fact that the ship isn’t necessarily sunk if Lock had to step in. Yes, there would be reasonable doubts and a good chance that things don’t go well, but putting O’Connell alongside a formerly-failed-but-talented quarterback gives at least some reason for optimism.
As of right now, the Vikings are sitting on a touch under $22 million in cap space. Keep in mind that some of that is going to be used on the 2025 draft class. Even that caveat, though, doesn’t undermine the basic point: the Vikings have enough room in the budget to afford the extra passer.
Drew Lock has made $4 million (2023) and $5 million (2024) over these past pair of seasons. In all likelihood, Lock will command a similar number by the time it’s all said and done. Scooping him up for a contract within that price range would be a nice bit of business from Mr. Adofo-Mensah, especially if it occurs following the draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft takes place from April 24th to 26th. Afterwards, the NFL will see some more movement with the remaining free agents. The Vikings, quite possibly, will jump into the mix.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap 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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.