Vikings Have Decision to Make on Jaren Hall

The Minnesota Vikings fully intended to start Sam Darnold this season. Some fans and media members had visions of J.J. McCarthy usurping Sam, but that was always a longshot possibility.

None of that matters, now that the latter has been formally ruled out for the rest of the 2024 season. But McCarthy’s injured reserve designation affects Kevin O’Connell’s decisions further down the depth chart than just QB, or even QB2.

Jaren Hall up against it for the Minnesota Vikings

Jaren Hall has a lock on the Minnesota Vikings QB3 spot. His lackluster performance against the Raiders started his preseason off on a bad foot, but he rebounded nicely against the Cleveland Browns.

Jaren Hall thew a dime for 6 🔥

📱: Stream #MINvsCLE on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ntg5DR4chf

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2024

That performance won’t be enough to vault Hall over Nick Mullens for the Vikings’ QB2 role. That’s bad news for Jaren, because Kevin O’Connell doesn’t like to carry three quarterbacks on roster if he doesn’t have to.

The Vikings carried three quarterbacks last year. In 2022, they kept only two. Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens are locks, so this comes down to how Minnesota wants to proceed with Jaren Hall.

The Vikings staff values his maturity and drive. For more than a year now, he typically has been the last player out on the field after practice working with assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski.

Alec Lewis on Jaren Hall’s roster spot (The Athletic)

Kevin O’Connell carried three quarterbacks for the Vikings last season, after Kirk Cousins’ injury. Minnesota had just two on their active roster all of 2022. And now, there is a new rule in the NFL that a team’s practice squad QB can fill the QB3 role on game day, and not count against a team’s 53-man roster.

Vikings should just put him on the practice squad…

So, send Jaren to the practice squad, right? Problem solved. Well, not so fast. It’s possible Hall would make it through waivers unclaimed, but that’s far from a guarantee. Is that a move the Vikings can afford to risk?

The decision comes down to this: Do the Vikings value a third-string QB option steeped in the system more than they value a back-end roster option with upside at another premium position?

Could another team pounce on Hall? It’s possible. He is mobile, generally accurate and studied in an advanced system that is respected throughout the league. There is risk to cutting him, but the Vikings might be willing to absorb it.

Alec Lewis – The Athletic

Related: Did Jaren Hall Take the Vikings QB2 Job from Nick Mullens on Saturday?

What if Darnold goes down and we are one injury away from needing QB3… and Jaren Hall is on another team? With McCarthy out, the Minnesota Vikings kind of need Jaren Hall on roster. The Vikings may decide that they are better served by utilizing an additional roster spot for a different position.

Minnesota Vikings could opt to replace Jaren Hall

Jaren Hall earning a roster spot isn’t the only quarterback question for the Minnesota Vikings. There is a possibility that O’Connell would prefer a more established veteran be ready behind Darnold.

Nick Mullens has already flopped for the Vikings, and a fresh face may be something worth exploring. Of course, Hall’s perfect performance against the Browns is a feather in his cap.

Related: Quarterback Options That Make Sense for the Minnesota Vikings

There are a couple of free agents that could overtake either Hall or Mullens on Minnesota’s depth chart. A trade right before the regular season kicks off isn’t exactly out of the question either. It’d be best if the Vikings didn’t make the deal former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum suggested, but that’s another issue altogether.

Realistically Hall must prove he is roster worthy not only based on what the Vikings have internally, but also considering what could be acquired to unseat him.