Vikings Welcome Back 1 of 4 Free Agent QBs
We’ve reached the offseason period of Vikings football. Unfortunately, the franchise squandered another opportunity to go on an extended playoff journey. Once again, it’s a one-and-done operation in the Twin Cities, as the Rams were too much for Kevin O’Connell’s team to handle.
Vikings Simply Double The Number of QBs Under Contract for the 2025 Season
Just like last year, the Vikings are a fascinating team to watch at this time of the year because of their quarterback position.
Starter Sam Darnold is scheduled to enter free agency but has auditioned for a long stay by throwing 35 touchdowns in his bounce-back season. His last couple of games in which he returned to the form of old Darnold haven’t made the decision any less complicated.
Also on one-year contracts are teammate passers Nick Mullens, Daniel Jones, and Brett Rypien.
Among 13 signings, the Vikings announced Rypien’s addition to the offseason roster on Thursday.
In his four seasons at Boise State, Rypien registered 13,581 passing yards and 90 touchdowns with only 29 interceptions, leading the program to three straight 10-3 seasons in his final three years.
Still, the NFL was not impressed. He went undrafted in 2019 and signed with the Denver Broncos, moving between the practice squad and the 53-man roster for four years and seeing game action in eight contests, including three starts.
Last year, when Matthew Stafford had to sit out a game, the Rams started backup Rypien. The game was lost, and the passer was released after the final whistle. He then had stints with the Seahawks and the Jets. In March, he signed with the Bears, but Chicago released him ahead of the cutdown deadline.
In his six-year career, Rypien has played in ten games, starting in four of them. He has thrown for 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions. While his performance has been somewhat underwhelming and uninspiring, the NFL continues to offer him depth quarterback positions.
This is likely due to his reputation as a great teammate and his ability to help the starting quarterback prepare for upcoming games, a quality that Sean Mannion was also known for during his time in the Twin Cities.
For now, Rypien is the QB2 of the 2025 Minnesota Vikings. In all likelihood, however, they will add one or two other QBs. Darnold is the first domino piece. He either returns and competes with McCarthy for the QB1 gig, or he departs, and the Vikings sign a different veteran to be the insurance in case the 21-year-old isn’t deemed ready.
Daniel Jones is another intriguing backup QB. He displayed some physical talent in 69 starts with the Giants, and it would be on Kevin O’Connell to unlock his full potential as he did this year with Darnold. Mullens is familiar with the offense and has earned the trust of his coaching staff and teammates over the last three seasons.
For now, Rypien and McCarthy are the only signal-callers under contract for the 2025 campaign.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt