Top 5 Greatest NFL Quarterbacks in Minnesota Vikings History
Who tops the list of the best Quarterbacks to ever play for the Minnesota Vikings? Does Brett Favre make the list? What about Kirk Cousins?
The NFL All-Time Series continues today as we go back in history to look at the best NFL Quarterbacks to ever play for the Minnesota Vikings. When looking back on the history of this Franchise, it was hard to find a Quarterback that was Drafted, homegrown, or that played for more than 5 years for the team. A lot of high-profile seasons from Quarterbacks that have played with the Vikings were one-year wonders or un-sustained. Many former Minnesota Viking Quarterback’s like Jeff George, had the best season(s) of their career. Of all the All-Time Top 5 Greatest Quarterbacks lists I’ve done so far, in my opinion, this one is the most controversial because you could easily make a legitimate argument that 8 names deserve to be on this list. Being that we are only looking at the Top 5, this list was hard to finalize and compile. Still, let the debate(s) begin as we take a look at the Greatest Quarterbacks in the History of the Minnesota Vikings.
Honorable Mentions —
Jeff George (1999)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 8–2 QB Record, 58.1% Cmp., 2,816 Passing Yards, 23 TD, 12 INT, 94.2 Rate
If you remember, Jeff George, was the first pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, and never quite lived up to expectations. However in 1999, Jeff George’s lone season with the Vikings, he had the best Season of his other-wise disappointing career. In fact, in that season, Jeff George took over for Randall Cunningham and helped lead the Vikings to an 8–2 Record and a Playoff victory. It was only the second Season in George’s Career where he led a team to the playoffs.
George set a career-high in Passer Rating (94.2) for the Vikings in 1999, and his 8–2 Record was only the second time in his entire career where he finished with a winning record in a single season as a Starting NFL Quarterback. George could have easily been on this list and probably have played for more than one season with the Vikings. However, contract disputes, caused the Vikings to sour on a potential deal to bring George back, and instead, both sides choose to stop negotiations with each other during the Off-Season after the 1999 NFL Season.
Brett Favre (2009 — 2010)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 17–12 QB Record, 65.2% Cmp., 6,711 Passing Yards, 44 TD, 26 INT, 92.2 Rate
I know I’ll catch some flack for not having the great Brett Favre on the list, but again, just like Jeff George, Favre only had one impactful Season with the Franchise. Longevity matters. Favre, the All-Time Consecutive NFL Starts Leader for Quarterbacks, of all people knows that. Still, it’s worth pointing out that Favre balled out as a Minnesota Viking which is why he is an honorable mention.
In 2009, Favre led the Vikings to a 12–4 Record, and an NFC Championship Appearance against the (at the time) infamous New Orleans Saints. The Vikings and Favre fell just short of a Super-Bowl Appearance as they lost the game by a mere Field-Goal. 2009 was one of, if not, the best Seasons of Brett Favre’s Career. It was a year full of first’s for Favre. He set career highs in Completion Percentage (68.4), Passer Rating (107.2), and a career-low 7 Interceptions thrown.
To put Favre’s phenomenal 2009 Season into context, consider the fact that he was 40 years old. Also, Favre’s 107.2 Passer Rating was the first time in Favre’s entire career where he reached the 100 Passer Rating landmark. Favre’s career-low 7 Interceptions thrown, was the first time in his career where he didn’t throw for double-digit Interceptions in a full Season as the Starting Quarterback of a team. That was some great football from a man that was past his prime.
Warren Moon (1994 — 1996)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 21–18 QB Record, 60.7% Cmp., 10,102 Passing Yards, 58 TD, 42 INT, 82.8 Rate
Moon was a 2-time Pro-Bowler for the Minnesota Vikings. He was a gunslinger that threw a beautiful ball. Moon didn’t lead Minnesota too much playoff success as per his reputation for the entirety of his career. Playoff success is something that always alluded Moon, no matter what team he played for. On the contrary, he was one of the most prolific regular Season Quarterbacks of All-Time, and that is something he certainly carried over to Minnesota.
In 1995 he posted the 2nd highest Passer Rating of his career. In 1995 Moon also threw an impressive 33 Touchdown Passes for the Vikings, which was tied for his career-high. In just 39 Starts, Moon was able to throw for just over 10,000 Passing Yards and made a huge impact in his short time with the Franchise. His regular Season play certainly is good enough to make this list. However, his lack of playoff success ultimately keeps him out of the Top 5.
Before we begin be sure to check out the NFC East All-Time Quarterback Ranking list below:
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team
For the Top 5 Best Quarterbacks in the History of the Chicago Bears take a look below:
You can also Check out the Top 50 Greatest NFL Quarterbacks of All-Time list:
For all other All-Time NFL Quarterback list archives you can check out below:
Let's begin the Countdown!
5. Kirk Cousins (2018 — Present)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 25–21–1 QB Record, 69.0% Cmp., 12,166 Passing Yards, 91 TD, 29 INT, 103.6 Rate
Surprised? Maybe. Maybe not. Does Kirk Cousins deserve a spot on this list? Absolutely. Kirk Cousins is already 4th All-Time in Vikings History for Touchdown Passes. While the team hasn’t had great success as a whole, Kirk Cousins has done his part. You can make a legitimate argument that Kirk Cousins is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL today. I’ll take it a step further and say he is better than the overrated Matthew Stafford, and is the 2nd best Quarterback in the NFC North, behind Aaron Rodgers.
Many forget that Cousins was a 2012 NFL Draft steal for the Washington Football Team, as he was taken in the 4th round behind his high profile teammate at the time, Robert Griffin III. As we later found out, Kirk Cousins was a much better, and accurate passer than his high-profile teammate. At the time, it was easy to see why RGIII was taken way ahead of Cousins and seen as the far superior NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect. RGIII had better athletic ability, speed, arm strength, and was coming off a 2011 College Football Season where he won the Heisman Trophy.
What scouts missed on with RGIII (specifically the Washington Football Team) is that RGIII played in a wide-open Spread offense for Baylor. He had a lot of work to do in terms of making the right reads and throwing with anticipation. As the first couple of seasons go by, Cousins starts demonstrating the ability to read defenses, throw with anticipation, and make the right plays. That’s been the story of Kirk Cousins’ career.
Cousins is vastly overlooked for his lack of physical tools, but makes up for it with his acumen and knowledge of the game, and focusing on maximizing his limited arm talent by throwing with anticipation. Cousins’ work in Washington earned him the first multi-year fully Guaranteed contract in NFL History.
Cousins has given the Vikings a chance to win in every game he’s played. In 2020, Cousins had a quietly great year with 35 Touchdown passes, 67% Cmp., and a 105.0 Rate. The Vikings defense regressed tremendously though, and the team finished 7–9. The Vikings Defense was ranked 29th in points allowed. With the numbers Cousins put up, he most definitely did his part. If the Vikings defense can take a slight step forward and just be average, a Quarterback like Cousins can help this team make a playoff run. It’s only been three seasons, but in due time, Kirk Cousins has the potential to climb this list.
4. Randall Cunningham (1997 — 1999)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 16–7 QB Record, 59.9% Cmp., 5,680 Passing Yards, 48 TD, 23 INT, 94.2 Rate, 23 Rushing TD
The shortest tenured Quarterback on this list for the Vikings, Cunningham’s lone full Season as a Starter is enough to crack this list. His 1998 Season with Minnesota is one of the best Quarterback Seasons of All-Time. In that Season, Cunningham went 13–1 as the Starter, while throwing for a Career-high 34 Touchdown Passes, and posting a Career-high 106.0 Passer Rating. It was the only Season in Cunningham’s career in which he made an All-Pro team. The Vikings were 1st in Offensive Points per game in 1998, and Cunningham helped lead the team to an NFC Championship game where the Vikings fell in a close nail-biter to the Falcons.
1998 was Cunningham’s last full season as a starter, but he showcased his arm talent in 1998 and was more of a pure drop-back passer that Season. For most of Cunningham’s Career up to that point in 1998, Cunningham was known for his scrambling ability and ability to gain yardage on the ground. Before 1998, Cunningham had averaged 58 Rush Attempts per Season. In 1998, that number dropped to only 32 Rush attempts for Cunningham. Make no mistake about it, Cunningham was still a threat for the Vikings on the ground and could make plays on the run. However, they were few and far between and Cunningham only made plays on the ground when necessary.
It was like watching the evolution of an entirely new player as he instead relied on his arm to throw to arguably the best trio of Receiver’s any Quarterback can ask for in Hall of Famers Randy Moss, and Cris Carter, as well as the underrated 6'3 mammoth number three Receiver, Jake Reed. With the plethora of Offensive weapons at Cunningham’s disposal in 1998, it’s not hard to see why; A. He had the best Season of his Career and B. He deviated from scrambling to relying more on his arm and drop-back passing. The Vikings of 1998 were the 2007 version of the New England Patriots, or 2013 Denver Broncos, and Randall Cunningham’s magical play that season was a big part of the Vikings' historic success.
3. Tommy Kramer (1977 — 1989)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 54–56 QB Record, 55.1% Cmp., 24,777 Passing Yards, 159 TD, 157 INT, 72.9 Rate
Kramer is another one of the more underrated quarterbacks on this list. His longevity is a big factor in his high ranking. Kramer is 2nd All-Time in Career Touchdown Passes, Wins, and Passing Yards, for the Minnesota Vikings. Kramer wasn’t always the most consistent Quarterback for Minnesota. He had many bad Seasons. However, he also had some very solid Seasons sandwiched in between.
Kramer helped the Vikings get to the Post Season three times and an AFC Championship Appearance in 1987, where the Vikings ultimately fell short. Kramer is a “what could’ve been” player in that he struggled to stay healthy for a big chunk of his career, which played a part in him having some inconsistent Seasons. When you look back at his play and numbers for Seasons where he Started at least 10 games or more, you’ll find that Kramer was a very productive Quarterback.
The Vikings drafted Kramer in 1977 with the 27th Overall Pick. This played a huge part in the Franchise having a long leash with Kramer and holding out hope that he’ll battle through his injury-riddled, and inconsistent Seasons. It never really panned out that way. In 13 Seasons with the Vikings, Kramer Started 10 or more games just five times. It’s hard to get any sort of rhythm, and consistency from the Quarterback position when your Franchise guy is not available. When he did play, he was known for his fourth-quarter comebacks, and come from behind performances.
Kramer showed flashes of being clutch and highly productive. In 1986, Kramer led the NFL in Passer Rating (92.6) and was the Comeback Player of The Year and first time Pro-Bowler. The Vikings finished with the 4th best scoring Offense in 1986, and still managed to not make the Postseason.
1986 marked the last full Season for Tommy Kramer’s Career as a Starter. Injuries would catch up to him once again and he would never again replicate his 1986 Season performance. It was a pretty good run with the Vikings that had lots of lost potential and potential to be great. Kramer’s spot on this list at number three is fair considering the ups and downs of his career with the Franchise.
2. Daunte Culpepper (1999 — 2005)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 38–42 QB Record, 64.4 Cmp., 20,162 Passing Yards, 135 TD, 86 INT, 91.5 Rate, 2,476 Rushing Yards, 29 Rushing TD
Daunte Culpepper was an exciting young dual-threat type of Quarterback from 2000–2004. He was a rising young star from the get-go. In fact, in just his second season (the year 2000), Culpepper threw a league-leading 33 Touchdown Passes and led the Vikings to an impressive 11–5 Record. The Vikings even made a conference Championship Appearance but were stomped out by the New York Giants. Still, at just 23 years old, it was an impressive showing for Culpepper’s start of his career. It seemed like a sign of promise, hope, and great things to come for the Vikings and Culpepper. That never quite materialized.
While Culpepper would go on to have a few more great individual Seasons for the Vikings, it never translated to team success. Things seemed to be turning back around for Culpepper and the Vikings in 2004, as the team made it back to the Playoffs for the first time since 2000.
In 2004, he threw for a Career-high 39 Touchdown Passes and posted the highest Passer Rating of his Career (110.9) with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings made it to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs after winning their Wildcard game. They fell short to the Eagles in the Divisional round, but it was a good bounce-back year for the Vikings, as they once again seemed to be heading in the right direction, led by their young Franchise Quarterback, Daunte Culpepper. It wasn’t to be, as a knee injury after 2004, while still being in the prime of his career, cut Culpepper’s Career short.
Culpepper would never again come close to replicating his 2004 season. It would also mark the last Season Culpepper would Start in double-digit games as the Starting Quarterback for a team. It was a sad end to an era of such promise for a Quarterback with such great potential.
Culpepper was the Derrick Rose of the NFL up to that point. A budding young Star, that took a precipitous fall from grace after a devastating knee injury that would alter the course of his career. It was a great run with the Vikings though, as Culpepper put up prolific numbers, showed flashes of greatness, was a 3-time Pro-Bowler, and looked to be well on his way to being a future MVP. He was that good, and his short run at the top of his game, as one of the best young Quarterbacks of the early 2000s, gives Culpepper a well-earned high spot on this list.
1. Fran Tarkenton (2 Stints with Vikings) — (1961 — 1966) & (1972 — 1978)
Career Stats with Minnesota Vikings: 91–73–6 QB Record, 57.7% Cmp., 33,098 Passing Yards, 239 TD, 194 INT, 80.1 Rate, 2,548 Rushing Yards, 22 Rushing TD
Did you expect anyone else? While this list might elicit some controversial reactions from 2–5, number 1, is a no-brainer. One of the many great things about the great Fran Tarkenton is that he was a top Quarterback in two decades and two different stints with the same Franchise. Tarkenton was a top 10 Quarterback for the Vikings in the 1960s and a Top 10 Quarterback for the Vikings in the 1970’s.
His second stint with the Franchise was ultimately better than his first, as Tarkenton was able to carry the Vikings to three Super-Bowl Appearances in his 7 seasons with the team in the 1970s. While the Vikings never did win a Super-Bowl in those 7 seasons, it’s still impressive, nonetheless, to get to that many Super-Bowls in that short of a window.
Tarkenton (as I mentioned in the Top 50 Greatest NFL Quarterback of All-Time list), was a menace for opposing defenses. He could scramble for days and make throws on the run. He was able to escape pressure and make defenders miss, which made him one of the toughest Quarterbacks to Sack. Tarkenton is the All-Time Career Passing leader for the Vikings in Touchdown Passes, Wins, Yards, Attempts, and Completions.
1975 was arguably Tarkenton’s best Individual Season with the Vikings, as he was the MVP, a Pro-Bowler, and became an All-Pro for the first and only time in his illustrious career with the Franchise. In total, Tarkenton was a 5-time Pro-Bowl Quarterback for the Vikings, which is also the most Pro-Bowls in the Franchises history. Tarkenton’s place as number one on this list will be secure for a while.
There you have it! The Top 5 Greatest NFL Quarterbacks in Minnesota Vikings history. Thanks for reading. If you liked this post please share it on your social media, make sure to follow me to get notifications of my newest or latest content and, also be sure to check out some more of my content below:
Jeffrey Genao is a Writer and Contributor for Top Level Sports. You can read more of his Content at Top Level Sports.
