Minnesota's Quarterback Situation Is Starting To Get Awkward

A concerning trend is developing just a week into Minnesota Vikings training camp, and it involves the quarterback. No, not J.J. McCarthy, who by most accounts has shown potential. Instead, the issues revolve around the backup situation, where Sam Howell and Brett Rypien are battling it out for Who can make fans the most nervous heading into the season?

And they’re both winning.

Yesterday, Sports Illustrated's Will Ragatz reported that while Sam Howell had taken most of the second-team reps thus far, he had briefly lost that job to Rypien at Friday’s practice after a bad interception. While he took over as QB2 again later in practice, his performance once again left a lot to be desired. Howell, who the team traded for in April, had long been penciled in as the QB2 behind McCarthy. Now, though, after an underwhelming camp, it looks like that position battle may be wide open just weeks before the season opener.

Vikings fans know all too well the importance of a backup quarterback. When Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in 2023, the starting quarterback position changed almost weekly. Sure, there was a time during Cousins’ ironman days that Minnesota was fine paying Sean Mannion a few bucks to be Kirk’s friend and maybe play a down or two, but things have changed. Now, with McCarthy coming off a knee injury, the Vikings find themselves without a definitive answer behind him. So what should be the plan moving forward?

The easiest choice is to roll with Howell and Rypien and have a line of Minnesotan meniscus donors standing by. After all, Howell threw for nearly 4,000 yards in 2023 with the Washington Commanders, even without quarterback guru Kevin O’Connell. However, Minnesota's newly acquired signal-caller also led the league in sacks taken and interceptions that year in Washington. So far, those same struggles have followed him to Minnesota.

Still, camp isn’t the end-all be-all, so the first preseason game or two will reveal if he can be the guy or if Rypien or even Max Brosmer has what it takes.

Rypien is a seasoned veteran. Still, at age 29, what you see is pretty much what you get, and he hasn’t shown to be much of a stronger option. He probably provides more value as an advisor to the young McCarthy than he does with his on-field production.

On the other hand, rookie quarterback Max Brosmer is a bit of a wild card. Signed as an undrafted free agent this spring, no one had any thoughts of moving him up to QB2 in Year 1. But could it be time to give him the chance?

If it’s obvious that the backup quarterback isn’t on the roster, then there are a few other options out there.

Carson Wentz is someone fans have considered signing, as is Ryan Tannehill. Cousins could theoretically enter the picture in some bizarre world. However, starting over with a new backup in August feels like a direction the Vikings would rather avoid.

Still, they only made a small investment in Howell, and it wouldn’t be too hard to blow it all up and grab a different player after roster cuts. Players like Jameis Winston or Joe Flacco could become available as rosters get trimmed. It was even reported this spring that the Vikings toyed with the idea of bringing back New England Patriots quarterback Josh Dobbs, the infamous Passtronaut.

It may seem overkill to hyper-focus on a backup position, but 59 quarterbacks started a game in the NFL last season. Doing some quick math, that’s a lot more than 32. Whether it be due to injury or poor play by the starter, the need for a backup quarterback for top-tier teams is undeniably important. The Vikings are a playoff or bust team this year, and losing McCarthy for an extended period could spell disaster without a legitimate option behind him.

Maybe it isn’t time to panic just yet, though. It has been widely reported that the defense is generally ahead of the offense at this point. Thanks to madman Brian Flores and a still-recovering starting offensive line, the deck may be too heavily stacked against Howell. Even McCarthy has occasionally struggled throughout camp against the relentless pressure from Minnesota's front seven. Still, the lack of any sort of momentum around Howell and friends is a concerning development.

Ultimately, right now, there probably isn’t a Vikings fan out there who could confidently say they feel really great about the quarterback room heading into a pivotal year. With what is essentially a rookie quarterback also coming back from injury, and a stable of guys who haven’t risen to the occasion behind him, the Vikings have a potential problem brewing.