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.

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 QB 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?

Related: Rival Execs Continue to Question Minnesota Vikings Power Structure

4. Carson Wentz

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.

Related: Sportsbooks Not Buying the Draft Plans Kwesi and the MN Vikings are Selling…

3. Ryan Tannehill

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.

Related: What Does Mel Kiper’s Latest Mock Tell Us About Vikings Draft Plans?

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.

Related: Vikings Getting Cocky About Their Medical Staff

But the Vikings youth movement goes beyond the quarterback position. Danielle Hunter (29 y/o) is gone, so his Jordan Hicks (32) and KJ Osborn (27). Even reserve players like Dean Lowry (29) and Marcus Davenport (28) are out.

Minnesota Vikings lacking young talent big time…

So, the MN Vikings must be one of the younger rosters in the NFL, at this point, right? Well, maybe. But according to a new ESPN+ article that ranked the “under-25 talent” on every team, the purple rank 24th (of 32), much lower than they ranked in the same rankings one year ago.

24. Minnesota Vikings

Blue-chip players: WR Jordan Addison, QB J.J. McCarthy

The 22-year-old Addison had a great rookie year with 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. McCarthy, the franchise quarterback in waiting, will likely play during his rookie year. So will edge rusher Dallas Turner, also chosen in the first round.

The only other player who qualifies for this list and started more than one game for last year’s Vikings is linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. He was a surprise undrafted star with 2.5 sacks, one interception and 102 tackles.

Aaron Schatz – ESPN+

ESPN did not rank the Vikings 24th based on how many players they, or any other team, has on roster. Instead, they used a formula that inputs everything from a player’s upside, to the number of NFL games they’ve already logged, to length of each player’s contract… and everything in between. The calculations include (but are certainly not limited to):

• Number of starts
• Number of snaps
• Value and length of player contracts
• Draft value added in the 2024 draft
• Expected key starters and reserves
• Significant injuries or suspensions

The full list is more expansive, but the above inclusions give a good enough idea. Last year, the Vikings ranked 18th, so they fell six spots. Moving up on the list would have been difficult, no matter who they had drafted or signed in free agency.

Related: Andrew Van Ginkel Could Land on Vikings PUP List Before Season Starts

That’s because both Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw (plus Ed Ingram too) have turned 25-years-old, thus graduating out of Minnesota’s calculations. Jordan Addison and J.J. McCarthy were the only Vikings dubbed as “blue chip” players under the age of 25.

What does this ranking say about MN Vikings GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah?

Dallas Turner is a top defensive rookie of the year candidate. It’s a bit surprising he is not included with Addison and McCarthy. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Vikings are over the hill. The only locked in starters, who are above the age of 30, are Harrison Smith and Aaron Jones.

What it does say, is that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has struggled in the NFL Draft, which is probably why he gave so much power to Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores during the draft. They wanted J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, so Kwesi did whatever it took to make sure they got one of their top choices.

Related: Video: Adam Thielen Continues to Work Out with Vikings Rookie JJ McCarthy

There have been some rumors floated lately over how hot Adofo-Mensah’s GM seat may be, being he only has two seasons left. This ranking by ESPN shows one reason why those rumors are starting to fly. Atop ESPN’s rankings of the NFL teams with the most 25-and-under talent were the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.

How well the City Connect uniforms hold up over the next couple of seasons remains to be seen, but the Twins are hoping they age like fine wine because the initial reviews were not kind. Coming out of a recent rebrand, though, the Twins have a solid stable of offerings.

Of course players have preferences, and while not all jive with the fans, but the Twins’ five rotating uniforms seem to play pretty well, even if they aren’t the “all-time” favorite of older fans, who miss pinstripes or differently shaped ‘Ms’.

Ranking 2024 Minnesota Twins uniforms from worst to best

😍 pic.twitter.com/2YX9IraSZH

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 18, 2022

But today, we are going to rank the current roster of Minnesota Twins’ uniforms from worst to best. Feel free to let me know how terrible my choices are in any of our social media comment sections and choose your favorite Twins uniform in the poll underneath my rankings.

5. Alternate Twins Uniform

A navy top with the Minnesota wordmark across the chest, there is just nothing that stands out about this configuration. The navy is a traditional Minnesota Twins color, and the uniform isn’t going to ruffle any feathers.

But it certainly doesn’t do anything to move the needle, either. It just kind of exists as the team’s main home uniform. Having the newly designed “M” logo also gets it a slight downgrade, because the old TC logo was better.

4. City Connect (2024)

Unveiled in June 2024, the City Connect uniform is dubbed “The Ripple Effect.” If nothing else, it is certain to send waves through Twins Territory. There are slight hues of a traditional navy here, but the royal blue dominates the scheme and the bright yellow seems incredibly forced.

Nice setup this morning at the #MNTwins @NewEraCap Team Store.

Adult jerseys run $199-$479

Stretch fit caps $45 with fitteds upwards of that. pic.twitter.com/FnnOQWhyN5

— Ted (@tlschwerz) June 10, 2024

The secondary logo’s on both the cap and sleeve are nice touches, but the 10,000 Lakes patch being so large on the side of the cap is a bit gaudy. These uniforms are supposed to be different and unique, but it’s going to take time before the fan base comes around.

3. Home Twins Uniform

A crisp white style, the Twins wordmark really pops in the bright red across the chest. These are very traditional uniforms, but the pants piping and “TC” logo on the cap are subtle additions that do a lot.

Related: Minnesota Twins City Connect Uniforms Causing Quite the ‘Ripple Effect’ in Reactions

Of course these are full of grass and dirt stains when in action, but as the bright white emerges from the dugout, it screams the Twins are ready to play. No doubt, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if many of you rank this one higher than I did.

2. Road Twins Uniform

A gray offering with pinstripes is something that should largely be synonymous with the Minnesota Twins. While it is the New York Yankees that are known as “The Pinstripes,” the Twins have long had pinstriped uniforms as well.

The gray background is great, and a Minnesota wordmark across the chest in navy looks really sharp. The cap being the new “M” logo isn’t ideal, but not enough to knock these down.

1. Alternate Home Uniform

The cream “Twin Cities” uniform has been the gold standard since it was unveiled prior to the 2023 Major League Baseball season. Putting “Twin Cities” as the wordmark on the chest differentiates from other offerings, and bringing back a long-celebrated cream palette is well done.

Paired with the “TC” cap with letters stitched in cream, it’s a clean alternate that isn’t too busy and remains among the favorites in the clubhouse as well. It’s different, but not too different. They really are the perfect alternates.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Under-the-Radar Assistant Lands Another OC Interview

Minnesota was embarrassed in the Wild Card game against the Rams.. They lost to the lions in week 18 at Ford field, and now the season is over. Here are the Minnesota Vikings offense rankings.

Here are how various networks rank the Vikings offense, based on their own criteria. The Vikings were near the top of the rankings for most of the 14-3 season. However, they did not perform in the playoffs.

Related: Vikings Superstar Justin Jefferson Receives Another Honor

Below is how the Vikings offense ranked against the other 31 NFL teams in points scored and yards per game. Kevin O’Connell’s offense finished in the top fifteen in total yards and top-10 in passing yards and points per game so far this season.

Related: Looks Like Vikings DC Brian Flores is Out of Head Coaching Opportunities

The rushing offense dropped out of the top-15, though meaning they are in the bottom half of the league in terms of rushing production. The Vikings were not able to win, and continued to struggle in the run game.

Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart – Offense

^{– Subject to Change}

Here is the current depth chart for the Minnesota Vikings offense.

Related: ESPN Analyst Confident the Vikings Will Sign Sam Darnold to Lucrative Contract Extension

Vikings Offensive Coaches

The Vikings offensive coaching staff is made up of the following individuals. This is the third year of the main primary unit as the coaches look to keep improving on their scheme.

• Head Coach: Kevin O’Connell
• Offensive Coordinator: Wes Phillips
• Tight Ends/Passing Game Coordinator: Brian Angelichio
• Pass Game Specialist/Game Management Coordinator: Ryan Cordell
• Offensive Line: Chris Kuper
• Wide Receivers: Keenan McCardell
• Running Backs/Running Game Coordinator: Curtis Modkins
• Quarterbacks: Josh McCown
• Quality Control: Derron Montgomery
• Offensive Assistant: Ben Ellefson
• Senior Offensive Assistant: Chris O’Hara
• Assistant Offensive Line: Shaun Sarrett
• Assistant Wide Receivers: Tony Sorrentino
• Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Quarterbacks: Grant Udinski

Bookmark this Vikings’ Offense Rankings and Information post! Then, check back after each game for updates!

— Minnesota Vikings 2024 Schedule —

Monday marked a huge day in the NCAA Men’s Basketball calendar. It’s the first release of the NET Rankings, a formula-based model of judging college basketball teams that was developed by the NCAA. The 2020-21 debut list either forgot about the Minnesota Gophers or deeply disrespected them.

The NET Rankings replaced the RPI a few years ago but somebody must have input the wrong data this week for Minnesota. How else do you explain Pitino’s Gophers debuting at #43 in the nation, 22 spots lower than last week’s AP ranking.

I heard the NET Rankings just updated but that can’t be right because here’s what their website says for the #Gophers rn:

7. Iowa
12. Saint Louis
16. Colgate
20. Drake
28. Ohio State
42. Penn State
43. Minnesota

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 4, 2021

Look at some of the teams that landed in the top-25. Pitino’s Gophers beat Iowa on Christmas Day, beat Saint Louis in the non-conference and DOMINATED Ohio State just last night, which the NET Rankings website claims to include in its formula.

I didn’t even know Colgate had a minty fresh college campus and who would have thought that Liam Robbins made a HUGE mistake in transferring out of top-20 Drake for such a shitty basketball school like Minnesota.

Other rankings

Better known, eye-test college basketball polls (AP, Coaches) will update later today but the Gophers should climb both. They won 2 of 3 games this week and all three were against ranked opponents. Being dominated at the Kohl Center by #6 Wisconsin will hold them from blazing up lists, however.

The Minnesota Gophers sits at #23 in the KenPom rankings, #15 in the Massey Rankings and #27 by TeamRanking.com. Only the ESPN BPI has the Gophers ranked that low. If you your best comparison is ESPN BPI… then you need a new formula.

My man Jeff Goodman (Stadium.com) gets it.

Updated Goodman Top 25 with tons of movement after a crazy Saturday:

– Texas moves up into the Top 4
– Three teams in, three out pic.twitter.com/q7Mpso3mhA

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 3, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

They received 5 less (2 total) in the AP Poll this week: pic.twitter.com/CuIIN6lHLJ

The latest CFB rankings came out today and the Gophers football team received two top 25 votes in the new AP Top 25 and three in the coaches poll. That’s 5 less votes in the AP and 2 more in the Coaches, compared to the week prior. 

Coming off of a too-close-for-comfort game against one of FCS’ best, South Dakota State Jackrabbits, it’s nice to see these polls acknowledge that SDSU was no cake-walk (like the South Alabama Jaguars should have been for the far less talented Nebraska Cornhuskers). 

However, the Gophers will have their hands full once again on Saturday night in Fresno, California, where they take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Gophers barely beat the Bulldogs at TCF last season. If the Gophers are able to beat Fresno, they’d certainly receive more votes next week. An added bonus would be Nebraska struggling or maybe even losing to the powerhouse that is the Colorado Buffaloes.

The Gophers havn’t been ranked since the 2014 season, when they were ranked 22 in the country.  This was when David Cobb, Max Williams, and Mitch Leidner were leading the team. 

This is by far P.J. Fleck’s most talented team, since arriving in Minnesota. With worthy NFL talent on both sides of the ball. Senior leaders Tyler Johnson and Carter Coughlin will look to carry young Sophomore Quarterback Tanner Morgan and the rest of the Gophers while rowing the boat to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California. 

Cam Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan