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How would you rank the greatest QB's in franchise history?

supafreak84
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Just curious with all the discussion around Cousins and us never really having a great heritage of franchise QB's, how would people rank the best QB's in our franchise history?  I'm 44 and have been following this team religiously since I was a kid in the mid 80's  Just my take:

1.  Brett Favre-  The one and only time I can recall us having a true difference maker at QB and he put together the greatest single season for a QB in franchise history.  Should have been the league MVP in 2009 and I think would have been if not for the unfortunate bounty scandal in our playoff loss to New Orleans.  This may be a very unpopular opinion but I believe his jersey should be hung in our ring of honor and hope that it is some day.  Very small sample size, but to me he was the best.

2. Fran Tarkenton-  Was too young to ever see him play but I know all about Fran and what he meant to this franchise.  

3. Daunte Culpepper-  Another career cut way too short by injury.  Daunte was a freak with his size, arm strength, and athleticism.  I really had high hopes he was going to be the guy to finally get us that Super Bowl win.

4. Kirk Cousins-  I like Kirk, efficient and played amazing in a playoff game at New Orleans we were supposed to lose.  I think he is mostly steady and always puts up numbers. 

5. Randall Cunningham- Another amazing short tenure guy who came in as a backup and had one of the most magical rides in franchise history.  Huge arm talent and his scrambling ability is legendary.

* Note: I almost threw Jeff George in there just because I loved watching him throw the football. 

I'm just curious to see everyone's opinions on this.  It really is kind of sad with as much success as this franchise has had that we haven't had a lot of "franchise" type players at the QB position...

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#1 · Feb 21, 6:57 PM
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I think you would have to put Fran first...  the guy took us to what...  3 Super Bowls?

After that, I'd probably put Favre... Culpepper...  Warren Moon... in some order of top 4.  

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#2 · Feb 21, 7:24 PM
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It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par

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#3 · Feb 21, 7:33 PM
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Tarkenton
Pepp
Favre
Cousins
Cunningham / Moon
Kapp
Kramer / Wilson

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#4 · Feb 21, 9:52 PM
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@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?
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#5 · Feb 22, 6:22 AM
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@"Wetlander" said: I think you would have to put Fran first...  the guy took us to what...  3 Super Bowls?

After that, I'd probably put Favre... Culpepper...  Warren Moon... in some order of top 4.  


Fran's the only guy on the list for me.  If Favre had been more to the franchise than a short term rental he'd count.  I'll give Moon honorable mention.  The rest are guys whom history will forget.

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#6 · Feb 22, 6:25 AM
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Fran #1 and then it's a real mixed bag. Couple one year wonders in Favre, Kapp, and Cunningham. Then guys Daunte, Cousins, Moon, and Wilson who had some success but not really long term, yet. 

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#7 · Feb 22, 6:36 AM
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Looking back on the list, pretty slim pickings.  How about our first starting QB, George Shaw, in his career he was replaced by two significant rookies, Fran Tarkengton and in Baltimore, Johnny Unitas.

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#8 · Feb 22, 6:54 AM
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What? No love for Gary Cuozzo, Norm Snead, Ron VanderKelen and Bob Lee? (You beat me to the punch on Shaw)

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#9 · Feb 22, 7:51 AM
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This is the one position where the Vikings & Packers football teams really separate themselves...

Outside of Tark? It's been hit or miss for this franchise for a long, long, long time. 

I think Pepp had a chance to be a real good one. But luck, injuries, Chilly and stoopid decisions sadly ended his time here. 

Tarkenton is clearly #1 imo

Then whatever order you want: 
Cousins
Pepp
Kramer
Favre

I cant personally put Favre higher with just 1 good season here. Albeit a real good one. 

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#10 · Feb 22, 8:24 AM
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Where the hell is Ponder on these lists?  :/

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#11 · Feb 22, 8:31 AM
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None of them won a Super Bowl so how could any of them be any good? 

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#12 · Feb 22, 8:47 AM
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@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?
Fran was definitely a franchise QB...but technically, we acquired him via trade from the Giants before his Super Bowl seasons, so even though we initially drafted him, he kind of set the future pattern.
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#13 · Feb 22, 9:12 AM
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@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?

Good call, I never realized that we had actually drafted Fran and thought he was just always someone we acquired via trade from the Giants. 

This caught my eye in looking over his career.  His last season was in 1978 and he threw 32 INT's that season!  How the hell was that even possible in the 3 yards and a cloud of dust era of football?  Like I said, all before my time...

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#14 · Feb 22, 9:37 AM
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@"supafreak84" said:
@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?

Good call, I never realized that we had actually drafted Fran and thought he was just always someone we acquired via trade from the Giants. 

This caught my eye in looking over his career.  His last season was in 1978 and he threw 32 INT's that season!  How the hell was that even possible in the 3 yards and a cloud of dust era of football?  Like I said, all before my time...



It was Burns' Great Lake Offense, the precursor to the WCO.

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#15 · Feb 22, 10:14 AM
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@"supafreak84" said:
@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?

Good call, I never realized that we had actually drafted Fran and thought he was just always someone we acquired via trade from the Giants. 

This caught my eye in looking over his career.  His last season was in 1978 and he threw 32 INT's that season!  How the hell was that even possible in the 3 yards and a cloud of dust era of football?  Like I said, all before my time...



INTs used to be a lot more plentiful...in the 1970s, I remember that the best QBs in the league regularly threw 20+ in a season. Bradshaw was league MVP with 20 INTs (and 28 TDs) in '78...Joe Namath usually threw more INTs than TDs. I think DBs were given far more latitude in those days.

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#16 · Feb 22, 12:07 PM
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@"Jor-El" said:
@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?
Fran was definitely a franchise QB...but technically, we acquired him via trade from the Giants before his Super Bowl seasons, so even though we initially drafted him, he kind of set the future pattern.
Why they ever traded him away I don't know.  When he led us over the Bears as a rookie in the 1st ever Viking game we became the only expansion team ever to win its first game, which is a record that I think still stands.
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#17 · Feb 23, 7:56 AM
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@"comet52" said:
@"Jor-El" said:
@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?
Fran was definitely a franchise QB...but technically, we acquired him via trade from the Giants before his Super Bowl seasons, so even though we initially drafted him, he kind of set the future pattern.
Why they ever traded him away I don't know.  When he led us over the Bears as a rookie in the 1st ever Viking game we became the only expansion team ever to win its first game, which is a record that I think still stands.
The Texans won their first game too...I think against the Cowboys?
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#18 · Feb 23, 8:05 AM
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@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Hmmmm, I seem to recall the Vikings giving up on Rich Gannon, what would have been eh?  Also the Vikings DID plan on drafting Bernie Kosar but he wanted to play for Cleveland so the NFL broke their own rules and let him skip the regular draft and go in the supplemental.  The Vikings got Doleman instead but one wonders what would those mid to late 1980s teams been able to accomplish with Kosar instead of Wade Wilson
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#19 · Feb 23, 9:20 AM
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@"comet52" said:
@"Jor-El" said:
@"comet52" said:
@"supafreak84" said: It's just crazy to me that we have never in the franchise's history drafted a QB that's been a franchise type player.  Culpepper has been the closest. We have always been the spot for established QB's to go to make a run when our talent has been up to par
Fran doesn't count?
Fran was definitely a franchise QB...but technically, we acquired him via trade from the Giants before his Super Bowl seasons, so even though we initially drafted him, he kind of set the future pattern.
Why they ever traded him away I don't know.  When he led us over the Bears as a rookie in the 1st ever Viking game we became the only expansion team ever to win its first game, which is a record that I think still stands.
Butting heads with ultra old school Norm Van Brocklin. Trade worked out pretty well for the Vikes. Allowed them to draft Ron Yary, Ed White, Clint Jones and Bobby Grim (who ironically went to the Giants in the trade that returned Fran).
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#20 · Feb 23, 10:58 AM
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@"Wetlander" said: I think you would have to put Fran first...  the guy took us to what...  3 Super Bowls?

After that, I'd probably put Favre... Culpepper...  Warren Moon... in some order of top 4.  


Didn't have the pleasure of watching Fran, but he has to be defacto #1.

Farve and part of one good year.  Hard to say he ranks better than Moon (my #2) and Culpepper (physical freak, but a bit too much like Cam.  Relied on that trait too heavily.)  Cousins would be #4 based on his talent and the dearth of other talented QBs in our history.  Brad Johnson would be by #5.  I am a bit biased, but he was my personal favorite.

Cunningham was propped up by Billick reading the D for him and was exposed as the time went on.  Kramer belongs somewhere near the top 5, but Wilson/Salisbury... were a blight on our history.  Showing a bit and never holding down the job.

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#21 · Feb 23, 11:22 AM
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