That means NFL fans who are 49 and younger have never witnessed the Vikings play in a Super Bowl. We’ve still had our fair share of success, however. In fact, the Vikings are far and away the most successful organization in NFL history to never win a ring.

Th Ravens have the third-best franchise winning percentage in the Super Bowl Era. pic.twitter.com/A2iTSChSq1

— Ravens Nation 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 (@LIVERavenNation) June 14, 2024

A glance around the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor will quickly shed light on just how much talent has gone through this organization during it’s storied history.

Four Minnesota Vikings make All Quarter Century Team

But some Vikings greats rise above even their ROH cohorts. Players throughout the team’s history who are seen as some of the greatest of all time; not just in Minnesota, but league-wide.

This week, ESPN paid homage to the first 25 years of the 21st century by creating an NFL All-Quarter Century Team. Four Minnesota Vikings players made the list, including one current Viking, Justin Jefferson, who only played in a fifth of the seasons being judged.

Justin Jefferson – Wide Receiver

Of the six wide receivers selected to ESPN’s All Quarter Century Team, Jefferson is the only active player (but not the only Viking). Justin has had the best start to a career of any wide receiver ever, but it’s still incredibly impressive to make this list, just based on how much time he had to do it.

“Jefferson has played only five NFL seasons, but what amazing seasons they have been. When he won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022, he was No. 1 in receptions, yards and DYAR. He ranked in the top three for DYAR in three of his other seasons (2020, 2021 and 2024), with at least 1,400 receiving yards in each of them. The only exception is 2023, when he played only 10 games because of injury but still managed to top 1,000 yards.”

Aaron Schatz – ESPN

JUSTIN JEFFERSON WITH THE CATCH OF HIS LIFE 😱

(via @Vikings) pic.twitter.com/nq86h630tO

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 13, 2022

This season, the Minnesota Vikings will take the field looking to improve upon a 14-win campaign. J.J. McCarthy is under center as the starting quarterback, and recently extended general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has supplied him with plenty of new talent. But his most lethal weapon remains Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings landed Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. His career 96.5 yards per game is an all-time NFL record. He has surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his first five professional seasons and led the league in 2022 with 1,089 yards.

Randy Moss – Wide Receiver

Of course, if Justin Jefferson is going to make the team, then you knew Randy Moss would be on there too. Moss is the most talented wide receiver to ever play the position and one of the most productive in NFL history too.

By the time Moss hung up his cleats he had collected 15,292 receiving yards, 156 touchdowns on 982 receptions. As a Viking, he caught 587 passes, 9,316 yards and 92 touchdowns.

“The greatest receiver of the 21st century based on the eye test, Moss also dominated in advanced metrics. He set the NFL record with 23 receiving touchdowns in 2007, a season that ranks third all-time in DYAR.

Moss ranked No. 1 in receiving DYAR three times: 2000, 2003 and 2007. In each of those seasons, he had at least 1,400 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He is also the leader in total receiving value by DYAR whether you add together a player’s top five seasons or top 10 seasons since 2000. Plus, he’s a legend of the podium interview.”

Aaron Schatz – ESPN

On Thanksgiving 20 years ago, a rookie named Randy Moss cooked the Cowboys:

3 rec
163 yds
3 TDs

(via @nflthrowback)https://t.co/mX6EiNrpVJ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 22, 2018

Immediately after he was drafted in 1998, Randy Moss changed the game of football and put the Minnesota Vikings back on the map. The NFL Hall of Famer led the league in receiving touchdowns five different times, including his 23-touchdown output with the New England Patriots in 2007.

Steve Hutchinson – Left Guard

The Seattle Seahawks made Steve Hutchinson the 17th overall pick in 2001, but it was the Minnesota Vikings that adored him as a superstar. After 68 games in Seattle, Hutchinson signed with the Vikings and started 89 games with Minnesota over the course of six seasons.

“Hutchinson made the Pro Bowl every year from 2003 through 2009 and helped lead the 2005 Seahawks to Super Bowl XL, along with Walter Jones. There were a number of relatively equal, strong left guards to choose from, but we went with Hutchinson over Joel Bitonio, Logan Mankins and Quenton Nelson. His impact on the NFL also stretches past the field, as he was part of a deal that led to a rule change about contracts after the “poison pill” that kept Seattle from matching the contract he signed with Minnesota in 2006.”

Aaron Schatz – ESPN

Hutchinson became a mainstay for the Minnesota offensive line and added three more first-team All-Pro selections to the two he generated with the Seahawks. He was a second-team All-Pro during his first season with Minnesota and ripped off a stretch of seven-straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003-2009.

This season the Minnesota Vikings have addressed their offensive line like nothing in recent memory. The tandem of Donovan Jackson and Will Fries would love to generate a Hutchinson level of production.

Jared Allen – EDGE Rusher

The Minnesota Vikings have one of their best edge rush pairings in recent memory returning this season, in Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Before them, it was Danielle Hunter and Brian Robison.

But from 2008-2013, no Viking got after opposing quarterbacks quite like Jared Allen, something that was reiterated by him making this All Quarter Century Team.

“Allen’s peak was incredibly strong, hitting 22.0 sacks (just shy of the single-season record) in 2011. But he was not a one-hit wonder: Allen hit double-digit sacks eight times and tallied the fourth-most sacks in our time span. He also ranks fourth among edge players (if we include J.J. Watt) in total plus-EPA since 2001 — a measure where defenders who are on the field for positive defensive plays are credited with the resulting EPA.”

Seth Walder – ESPN

Allen recorded 85.5 of his 136 total career sacks with the Vikings. Acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs, Allen became a fan favorite and he was recently inducted to the Ring of Honor.

The Hall of Fame came calling for Allen in 2025, and his place was well-deserved. Jared Allen ranks 16th in NFL history for sacks, a stat that did not exist until more recently.

Someday the Minnesota Vikings will win a Super Bowl. Until then, we’ll continue to count as many accolades that don’t matter as possible and happily throw this one on top of the pile.

Jared Allen Wants Justin Jefferson In Purple

Today, Vikings legend Jared Allen appeared on Kay Adams‘ show “Up and Adams” and weighed in on the situation, urging general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to get a deal done, no matter what it takes… even if it’s $40 million per year.

Allen highlighted how Jefferson creates numerous opportunities on the offensive side of the ball and emphasized his value to the team, even in games where he isn’t producing massive numbers.

"Back the truck up!" 🗣️#Vikings legend Jared Allen on if AND how much the team should pay Justin Jefferson 💰@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/GCDISGpH1I

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) May 28, 2024

Adams: Are you into the idea of paying Justin?

Allen: 100%, pay him. Back the truck up.

Adams: He could push for 40 mil.

Allen: Give it to him. He changes the game, he opens up the run game, he gives you the ability to score anytime, anywhere. He is a quarterback’s best friend, so if McCarthy is going to be your franchise QB, you cannot let him go. He becomes a centerpiece of your team. You have to protect him on the O-line. He has the ability to change games, and what that does to a defense—playing against the Megatrons of the world—you have to put two on him. So even if he has a game where he doesn’t have 200 yards, the fact that you have to assign two people to him all the time just makes it harder to play defense and easier to play offense.

Jared Allen – Up & Adams

Jared Allen, a future Hall of Famer, understands the challenge of defending against a superstar receiver. He acknowledges that even on their off days, top receivers can be incredibly tough to handle. That’s why he’s adamant that the Vikings should pay Justin Jefferson, even if it means shelling out $40 million a year.

Related: Is Justin Jefferson the One Holding Up Contract Talks with Vikings?

No one really knows for sure why it’s taking so long for the Vikings and Justin Jefferson to reach an agreement. Jefferson still has one season left on his contract, and negotiations are expected to continue throughout the offseason.

Justin Jefferson hasn’t been at the start of OTAs, but he’s been spotted around Minnesota, including at a Timberwolves game. Hopefully, this means he’s ready to get back to work soon.

Jared Allen is one of the greatest Minnesota Vikings pass rushers of all time. No, he didn’t play here long enough to push his overall sack numbers to the likes of purple people eaters, Carl Eller (130*), Jim Marshall (127*) and Allan Page (108*); or even 1990’s legend John Randle (114).

^{*Unofficial (played before sacks were an official statistic)}

Jared Allen is a Minnesota Vikings legend

But if you compare Allen’s ‘Games Played’, to other legendary Vikings pass rushers, it will quickly become apparent just how dominant #69 Jared Allen really was, while wearing purple. In only 96 games, he racked up 85.5 total sacks, just below one sack per game (0.89). John Randle played in 176 games (0.65 sacks per game)

Related: Minnesota Vikings Defense Rankings 2023 – Week 13

There are only two other modern day players (Keith Millard and Doug Martin) who rank in the official top-10 of all-time Vikings sacks list, who played less than 100 games in purple. Both sit at the bottom and neither can hold a candle to Jared Allen’s production.

Want a more modern comparison? Danielle Hunter, who has just one less sack than Allen and will surely pass him on the official all-time sacks list at some point this season (assuming good healthy), has played in 114 games as a Viking (0.74 sacks per game).

Jared Allen says it’s time for Vikings to move on from Kirk Cousins

But guess what, great players do not always make great NFL commentators or opinion havers. Jared Allen proved that to be the case Tuesday, when on Kay Adams’ podcast “Up and Adams” he was asked what the Vikings should do with Kirk Cousins, coming off a torn achilles tendon he suffered a month ago.

To be fair, this clearly wasn’t a topic Allen had put all that much thought into, prior to Adams asking him about it. Still, he didn’t hesitate to say that there’d be no way you’d catch him paying an aging Cousins $30+ million, coming off of an Achilles tear.

Related: Pros & Cons: Who Should be Minnesota Vikings Starting Quarterback Out of Bye?

What should the Vikings do with Kirk Cousins? Vikings legend Jared Allen weighed in@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/V5lgienuQF

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 28, 2023

Allen: “You blow your Achilles out at this point of your career, I’m just… I mean, it’s a young man’s game, it’s going that way. I don’t know that you can invest that much more money [or the money] it would take to keep him, to be honest. I don’t think it has any bearing on his ability. But you’re gonna come off an injury and I don’t know what his contract situation is…”

Adams: “It’s the last year of his deal.”

Allen: “Oh, you can’t pay him. That’s just… it’s a no-brainer. You can’t pay him. Sorry Kirk, it’s nothing personal, nothing personal at all. But, as a fan, if I’m the GM, what are you gonna have to pay him, $25-$30 million a year? Can’t do it. Sorry, the ride’s done.”

Related: Josh Dobbs is fine but he isn’t Kirk Cousins

Kirk will cost more than $25-30 million

Well, I hope Jared Allen ends up being wrong about a lot of things said in this clip but he’s definitely wrong about one thing. Kirk Cousins is going to cost more than what he estimated, at $25-30 million.

If he’s willing to take that, and I’m Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should find a Sharpie immediately so he can watch Kirk sign that contract and lead the Vikings for another two or three seasons.

Related: Kevin O’Connell Won’t Commit to Josh Dobbs as Vikings QB1 Going Forward

More than likely, Minnesota’s GM will be competing with offers for Kirk closer to $40 million per year, if he is willing to take a one-year contract. Up until recently, less than two years would’ve been a deal breaker for Cousins, but he’s had a change of heart following Achilles surgery, according to the latest reports.