The Vikings’ Backup QB Who Slipped Away
The plan was to bring him back. Or, at least, that’s what the team’s top two decision makers — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell — had to say.
Jaren Hall, one of the Vikings’ backup QBs in 2023, got let go before the 2024 season began. Doing so risked losing the 5th-Round selection, which is precisely what ended up happening. The former BYU passer decided to head west, picking up work to be a backup with the Seahawks. Ironically, Hall will now be backing up former Vikings passer Sam Darnold. Any regret in the Twin Cities about losing Hall?
Jaren Hall, The Vikings’ Backup QB Who Slipped Away
At the time, I voiced concern about the decision.
One thought from that piece: “Make no mistake: Jaren Hall has potential. No, he’s not likely to ever become an NFL starter — he’s already 26 — but the man could end up being a tremendous backup. Shouldn’t the Vikings make it a priority to keep him?”
And then another thought: “The risk now is twofold. A team could make a waiver claim for Hall, onboarding the passer by attaching him to their 53-man roster. Or, perhaps, Jaren Hall decides he doesn’t want to be on Minnesota’s practice squad, instead deciding he would like to proceed elsewhere. If either scenario occurs, then Minnesota will have let a young passer get out of their reach for the upside of a veteran QB3 with very limited success at the NFL level.”
Once the move to the Seahawks was confirmed, I wrote, “Make no mistake: Jaren Hall has potential. No, he’s not likely to ever become an NFL starter — he’s already 26 — but the man could end up being a strong backup. Shouldn’t the Vikings have made it a priority to keep him? After all, there is only a single QB under contract for the 2025 season. J.J. McCarthy, fresh off his lost season due to the meniscus tear, will be in town but all of Darnold, Mullens, and Rypien will be free agents. Having a bit more QB continuity may have been a positive.”
Obviously, a lot has happened since then. Daniel Jones got added into the mix during the season, something that few (if any) could have foreseen. And then there’s been the loss of Darnold, Jones, and Mullens in free agency. Oh, and Rypien has been brought back to keep offering some quarterback depth.
In 2024, Hall didn’t see any game action for Seattle. He moved back and forth between the practice squad and active roster, soaking up more reps in practice while continuing to refine his craft.
Had he stayed with the Vikings, Jaren Hall would be going into his third season of his rookie contract. In other words, he would have counted for a small cap charge — his rookie deal came in at four years and $4,119,272 — functioning as cheap depth. Another year to sit and learn under Kevin O’Connell would have been beneficial, especially after seeing how 2024 unfolded. A full season of getting a first-row seat to Darnold’s bounceback year would have been productive.
At least in a general sense, there are some similarities between J.J. McCarthy and Jaren Hall. Both are a bit smaller and both move well. Each offers good leadership. In theory, the pair could have worked alongside each other for several years.
Instead, Minnesota is sifting through their options on the free agent market. Aaron Rodgers — as he often does — is soaking up no shortage of attention. Other options like Jameis Winston, Drew Lock, and Joe Flacco are precisely that: options.
Jaren Hall stands at 6’0″ and 207 pounds. He will turn 27 on March 24th.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference 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.
