The Minnesota Vikings have had some excellent QB’s over the years. Some seriously good ones. There is just something about their coaching setup that has managed to create some good quarterbacks. There are so many good QB’s in Viking history that choosing just five is a challenge. You might not necessarily agree with the ‘greatest list’ we’ve put together as you might replace one name with another, but we are positive that you can agree that every single name mentioned in this article has had a positive impact on the Minnesota Vikings.
Fran Tarkenton
If there is one name on this list that won’t be controversial at all, it’ll have to be Fran Tarkenton. Quarterback from 1961 to 1966 and again from 1972-1978. Fran Tarkenton led the Minnesota Vikings during one of the most successful periods of their history.
He helped the team make three Super Bowls. Gained the NFL MVP Award and is now one of only a few lucky people to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Those who came up against Fran Tarkenton said that he was a nightmare to play against. He had a huge amount of mobility, and he was able to quickly get out of situations that would seem impossible for other quarterbacks.
Some say that Fran is one of the greatest QB’s in NFL history. While we may not go that far as there have been some great players in the modern era, it is amazing what Fran was accomplishing at a time when sports science was still fairly new, and he certainly wasn’t training in the same way that his modern counterparts are.
Daunte Culpepper
During the draft, Daunte Culpepper was the player that most teams wanted. The Minnesota Vikings were lucky enough to grab him in the first round, and they are probably glad they did. Between 1999 and 2005, he was probably the best QB in the NFL. His offensive play was second to none, with many defenses trembling when Culpepper ran at them. He was often backed by sports bettors keen to make a buck or two on the game. He was certainly a sure bet for a whole host of markets during his time. Remember, if you want to gamble on the Minnesota Vikings, you do need to choose the right website. We suggest you check out: https://www.askgamblers.com/sports-betting/bonuses.
Like Tarkenton, Culpepper was somewhat of a jack of all trades. While he loved to be on the offense, nabbing a few points for himself, he didn’t hog the spotlight. If another player had an opening, Culpepper would gladly pass, and with the awesome arm on him, you knew that most of the time it would be a successful throw.
Brett Favre
Brett Favre had already cemented himself as one of the top 10 QB of all time. He had nothing else to prove. Most of his time was spent away from the Minnesota Vikings though. It was only at the tail end of his career, in 2009, that he joined the Minnesota Vikings, and he was only there for one season. However, for many, it was a season that would go down in history, if only for the fact that many Vikings fans were impressed that they were able to secure a player of Favre’s caliber.
He broke several franchise records, including passing touchdown and passer rating. He also managed to guide the team to the NFC Championship game.
It’ll be a while before some of the records Favre set for the Minnesota Vikings are beaten. While he is unlikely to be massively remembered for his stint at the Vikings, since Favre spent so much of his time elsewhere, he will be a QB that everybody will remember for the team.
Tommy Kramer
In 1977, Tommy Kramer joined the Vikings. He was the perfect pick in the first round of the draft. If you needed a player to win you the game during its dying minutes, Tommy Kramer is who you would call. He managed to save the day so many times in the dying minutes that he eventually became known as two-minute Tommy.
He stuck with the team for 12 years, helping the team to multiple playoff spots. The only downside to Kramer was the fact that he was very injury prone. This meant that there were a few games that he had to sit out. Although, he did state that there were also a few games where he was very injured yet decided to play. You could barely tell. This was a guy who bled for the Vikings during his tenure and one who would always get a cheer from a Vikings supporter if they saw him in the street.
Kirk Cousins
Let’s wrap up with Kirk Cousins, a bit more of a recent QB. While he spent most of his career away from the Vikings, they had to snap him up in 2018 when he became a free agent. Over the next few years, Cousins would completely change the way the team played.
If you needed to get a ball somewhere accurately, it was best being placed in Kirk’s hands. You knew that if he threw it, it would get to where it needed to be. At the time, Kirk Cousins had some of the best offensive plays in the league. It was thanks to Kirk that the Vikings managed to grab a few playoff wins during his tenure.
Again, most people probably are not going to remember Kirk Cousins for his Minnesota Vikings stint. He did perform well elsewhere. However, Minnesota Vikings fans will definitely remember him. Even now, you’ll find people singing the praises of him as one of the hottest free agents of the time.
So, what do you think? Do you agree with our list? Are there more names you would add? We bet there are. As we said earlier, the Minnesota Vikings have a long history of quality QB’s in their ranks, and this will likely continue. Who knows? The list could completely change a couple of decades from now.
All great choices, although I’d add Joe Kapp’s name. In ’69, he shredded the NFL champions’ defense for seven TD passes (no one has thrown more in one game since), led a valiant playoff comeback against the Rams, refused to be named team’s mvp, saying there’s no most valuable Viking.
I agree about Kapp, a true leader. Not a great passer by any means but passing was not a “thing” back then. Thank you for stopping by John.