The Vikings’ Most Important Position is Still in the Blender
The Vikings’ most important position is no different from every other team in the NFL: quarterback.
But while most can understand that change is afoot in Minnesota, the degree to which the Vikings have worked through change may not be as obvious. Dislodging Kirk Cousins from the top spot has led to radical change, a process that involves far more shuffling than just the top spot.
The Vikings’ Most Important Spot & the Radical Change
For a long time, Kirk Cousins offered stability. Yes, the price tag was huge, but there was predictability.
The well-paid QB1 basically never got hurt — apart from that 2023 Achilles tear; he was otherwise a pretty bankable part of the team. The man was going to show up, work hard, and offer above-average play. The Vikings’ top strategist could therefore work from that basic assumption and then build outward from that starting point.
Go back to 2022, the beginning of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell era, to consider the quarterback hierarchy.
Originally, Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond were in town, but they were jettisoned in favor of more sturdy, promising depth. Keep in mind, as well, that Nate Stanley — a 7th-Round selection from the 2020 NFL Draft — was shown the door in July of 2022.
The season had the following hierarchy:
- QB1: Kirk Cousins
- QB2: Nick Mullens
- QB3: David Blough
In some ways, 2023 consisted of more of the same. The issue, as mentioned, is that Cousins got hurt. Even worse, Mullens was injured when that occurred. The end result was Jaren Hall and Joshua Dobbs earning starts for Minnesota. Consider what the year’s QB hierarchy looked like:
- QB1: Kirk Cousins
- QB2: Nick Mullens
- QB3: Joshua Dobbs
- QB4: Jaren Hall
In March of 2024, Cousins opted to head down to Atlanta for the appeal of a major payday, operating from within a promising team, and being closer to family. The 2024 Vikings therefore made a major pivot at quarterback. Consider what that looked like, at least before losing the No. 10 pick to injury (but who is now healthy and strong):
- QB1: Sam Darnold
- QB2: J.J. McCarthy
- QB3: Nick Mullens
- QB4: Brett Rypien
The added layers of complexity are that Hall was around for the offseason. He looked like he would remain employed as the third arm but got unseated in favor of Rypien. Remember, as well, that Daniel Jones was grafted onto the roster during the 2024 season, living on the practice squad before eventually being promoted to the 53-man roster for the playoffs.
So, plenty of quarterback shuffling last year alone due to a free-agent signing (Darnold), the draft (McCarthy), roster trimdowns in August (Hall for Rypien), and in-season roster maintenance (Jones).
At long last, get into the present moment. What does the Vikings’ most important position look like? Check it out:
- QB1: J.J. McCarthy
- QB2: Sam Howell
- QB3: Brett Rypien
- QB4: Max Brosmer
Howell came to Minnesota due to a trade. Brosmer got added after agreeing to an UDFA contract. Goodness, there were even some Aaron Rodgers rumors shoehorned into the mix, chatter that has (mercifully) died down.
If one wanted to simplify things, then there could be the observation that Kirk Cousins gave way to a bridge starter. Sam Darnold, the bridge starter, performed well for a season. The young, highly-picked passer — J.J. McCarthy — is now being leaned on to be the top quarterback.
Behind the scenes, though, there has been no shortage of change. McCarthy is supposed to be the QB1 for the next decade or more, but the depth could see a similar degree of shuffling in the coming seasons.
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 and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
