Ranking the Best Remaining Minnesota Vikings QB Options

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Ranking the Best Remaining Minnesota Vikings QB Options

Minnesota Vikings — Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Andrew Buller-Russ · Minnesota Sports Fan

Sat, Apr 12, 2025 ·

7 min read

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The Minnesota Vikings are deep into their offseason and their quarterback depth chart is still looking a bit thin. Sure, J.J. McCarthy is in line to make his starting debut when the season kicks off, but as Vikings fans know all too well, this team will still need a capable backup, just in case something ugly happens.

For now, the Vikings have Brett Rypien on the depth chart as the QB2. While the nephew of former Washington QB Mark Rypien is a 28-year-old veteran , he's only made four starts in his NFL career and he's not expected to be the final answer as McCarthy's backup.

Top Remaining Minnesota Vikings QB options for 2025

At some point between now and the start of training camp, the Minnesota Vikings will be adding another veteran quarterback to the roster. The move is expected to happen at some point after April 28 at 3 p.m. CDT, when free agency pickups will no longer play into their 2026 comp pick formula.

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That is unless they decide to trade for their new quarterback, which could be just as likely as the Vikings adding one in free agency. So below, we rank the best remaining QB2 options for the MN Vikings, with less than two weeks remaining before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off on April 24.

5. Teddy Bridgewater

Who could forget Teddy B? The Vikings' former first-round pick has bounced around from team to team since suffering his career-altering knee injury in 2016. After spending parts of the past two seasons backing up Jared Goff on the Detroit Lions , the 32-year-old Bridgewater is a free agent again.

He's not the type of player that will help the Vikings win games by himself, but Bridgewater's tendency to make the right play while protecting the football could appeal to Kevin O'Connell. Plus, we already know he'll be great in the locker room and would have no issue teaching young McCarthy everything he needs to know.

The question is, will Bridgewater head back to retirement as he did during the early portion of the 2024 season, or is he open to returning to where his career started?

4. Carson Wentz

NFL: Super Bowl LIX-Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles — Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This is not a joke. Carson Wentz, a former No. 2 overall pick, finished third in MVP voting in 2017, his second season in the NFL. Yet, after suffering multiple ankle injuries, Wentz' athletic abilities started to diminish.

The last time we saw Wentz as a consistent starter came in 2022 when he led the Commanders to a 2-5 record while having 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. However, even though he's now 32, Wentz got to spend last season as Patrick Mahomes' primary backup, getting a first-hand experience in Andy Reid's offense.

If he was good enough to be the top backup for a team attempting to three-peat as Super Bowl champions, Wentz should be good enough to back up McCarthy too. Plus, Wentz's unique NFL career has seen several ups and downs, which could be a great way for him to relate to Minnesota's new starter after McCarthy was forced to miss his entire rookie season due to injury.

3. Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill, Minnesota Vikings — Credit: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Vikings made a point to note how they're keeping the NFL's compensatory pick formula in mind when shopping for a new backup quarterback. If so, Ryan Tannehill should be seen as a viable option. They've even already spoken to him .

He didn't even play last season, which means the Vikings could sign him without having to worry about their future draft picks being impacted by the NFL's complicated compensatory pick process .

However, Tannehill's overall body of work remains impressive enough that the Vikings should have some level of interest in the former Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins starter. He'll turn 37 before the season kicks off, but Tannehill brings 11 seasons of starting experience to the table.

Known for his success with play-action passing, Tannehill would be stepping into the most high-powered offense he's ever been a part of. If he's still interested in playing football, Tannehill should be the one calling the Vikings, not the other way around.

2. Kirk Cousins

Of course Kirk Cousins — who turns 37 in August — needs to be on this list. Sure, he's being held hostage by the Atlanta Falcons for a full year now, but one of the greatest QBs in Minnesota Vikings history reportedly plans to waive his no-trade clause, after the 2025 NFL Draft ends.

This way, he can avoid future draft night surprises, like what he experienced last year, a month after arriving in Atlanta. Plus, if a trade happens after the draft, that would actually benefit the Vikings since they're armed with just four selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Trading a 2026 pick for the four-time Pro Bowler shouldn't be out of the question. Teams may be scared away from Cousins' $27.5 million salary for 2025, but the Vikings have the advantage of having McCarthy on an affordable rookie deal, allowing them to spend a bit more for a high-quality backup like Cousins.

most accurate QBs when kept clean:

1. Jalen Hurts
2. Jared Goff
3. Gardner Minshew
4. Geno Smith
5. Joe Burrow
6. Sam Darnold
7. Derek Carr
8. Russell Wilson
9. Brock Purdy
10. Kyler Murray
11. Joe Flacco
12. Kirk Cousins
13. Drake Maye
14. Justin Herbert
15. Daniel Jones
16.…

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 12, 2025

Plus, once again, the Vikings already know what type of competitive teammate they'd be adding back into the locker room, and McCarthy getting to see how Cousins prepares week in, week out, could be a valuable lesson that the 22-year-old never forgets.

Yet, if we're being real, Cousins should be getting a crack at a starting role with a team like the Cleveland Browns . However, after the Browns signed Joe Flacco, they may have closed the door on reuniting Kevin Stefanski with Cousins too. As a result, Cousins coming back to his second home in Minnesota could be the perfect way to close out his career.

Report: Vikings + Kirk Cousins Reunion is Not Out of the Question

1. Aaron Rodgers

Love him or hate him, Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback available. If he's legitimately interested in joining the Vikings at a reasonable rate, the front office shouldn't turn down the advances of a four-time NFL MVP.

Rodgers didn't light it up in his lone season with the New York Jets . But neither did Kirk Cousins, and both players were coming off a torn Achilles. Perhaps another season removed from the season-ending surgery will help Rodgers return to top form.

Either way, Rodgers still didn't have a terrible season, finishing with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Vikings would likely be thrilled with that type of production, knowing the rest of their roster is in a position to find success.

If the Vikings wanted to know more about how Rodgers operates within a locker room, they could just ask Aaron Jones , his teammate for six seasons in Green Bay . Skeptics may speak to the drama that tends to follow the future Pro Football Hall of Famer, but his former teammates clearly don't have an issue with him.

Jamien Sherwood is asked what it's like not having Aaron Rodgers around anymore:

"He taught everybody in this building a lot…he helped created a standard for myself and those other guys. He left a mark on all of us." pic.twitter.com/iVa9lPXmnz

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) April 9, 2025

Of course, there's some downside involved with bringing Rodgers aboard. He'd be signed and expected to start, not operate as a backup to someone who's never played an NFL down.

Yet, no matter how you feel about the former Packers quarterback, the Vikings would be foolish to turn down someone who has already proven he can win a Super Bowl when they have a roster ready to compete.

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