The 20 greatest quarterback seasons in Vikings history
The Minnesota Vikings have a very unique quarterback history because they have routinely had Pro Bowl and MVP-caliber seasons but the success (outside of Fran Tarkenton) has usually been short lived. So let’s have a look at the great seasons in Vikings QB history, which are spread between many different signal callers.
Note: The criteria is the QB’s statistics relative to the league at the time and team success factored in…
1 — 1998 Randall Cunningham
Key stat: At the time, Cunningham’s ‘98 season was the fifth highest rated of the Super Bowl era and third best ever in yards per attempt adjusted for sacks and INTs
When Cunningham agreed to come out of retirement to be Denny Green’s backup quarterback, nobody could have dreamed he would lead one of the greatest offenses in NFL history. When the dust settled on the ‘98 season, no team in the Super Bowl era had ever scored more points in a single season than the ‘98 Vikings. Cunningham will forever live on Randy Moss’ unbelievable rookie year highlight reel.
2 — 2004 Daunte Culpepper
Key stat: The highest QB rated season in Vikings history, even when adjusted for era. In ‘04, it was the fourth highest rated season and fifth highest total yards in history
Had it not been for Peyton Manning, the Vikings would have had their first MVP quarterback since Fran Tarkenton in ‘04 Culpepper. The most impressive thing about his ‘04 season might be the fact that Moss only finished third on the team in receptions that year as he was slowed by injury. Culpepper put the cherry on top of his incredible season by beating the Packers at Lambeau Field in the playoffs.
3 — 1975 Fran Tarkenton
Key stat: Won MVP. Produced a 91.8 rating when the NFL average was 65.8. Second highest completion percentage in history by 1975
The state of quarterback play in the mid-70s was, uh, not good. Six teams threw more than 25 interceptions and only one squad threw for 3,000-plus yards. Tarkenton’s 64.2% completion percentage was darn near a modern miracle. He topped the NFL in pass attempts and touchdowns and led the Vikings to a 12-2 season.
4 — 2009 Brett Favre
Key stat: Ninth highest rated season in NFL history by 2009. Highest completion percentage and lowest INT% of Favre’s career
Coming off a late-season collapse with the New York Jets, it would have been impossible to guess that the 40-year-old quarterback would put together one of the best seasons of his career but that’s exactly what Favre did, adding to his legend. He finished fourth in the MVP voting and demolished the Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs. His ‘09 season will always be defined by how it ended but he was nothing short of magical.
5 — 2000 Daunte Culpepper
Key stat: Tied for highest Approximate Value in Vikings history. One of only 19 QBs by 2000 to throw more than 32 touchdowns
Culpepper introduced himself to the league by leading the NFL in touchdown passes as a first-year starter. The Vikings were the third best third down team in football that year and ranked third in net yards per pass attempt. Culpepper added to his marvelous debut with a 302-yard, three-touchdown performance in the playoffs in a win over the Saints.
6 — 1995 Warren Moon
Key stat: Tied for sixth most touchdowns in NFL history by 1995 and fifth most pass attempts in a single season.
The Vikings’ leading rusher in ‘95 had 632 yards so the entire offense was put on Moon’s shoulders. He delivered 122 passes and 17 touchdowns to Cris Carter alone and found Jake Reed for 1,167 yards as well. While the Vikings missed the playoffs, it was no fault of the former Oiler. The Vikings ranked fourth in offense and 27th in points allowed.
7 — 2017 Case Keenum
Key stat: Vikings ranked fourth in the NFL in passing Expected Points Added
Coming off the bench in Week 2, Keenum was asked to be a game manager but Mike Zimmer couldn’t contain the the journeyman’s gunslinger mentality — and somehow it paid off. Keenum leaned heavily on Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, racking up over 2,000 yards targeting them. The Vikings finished with a remarkably efficient passing game, the 10th most points on offense and the third lowest turnover percentage. Keenum solidified his legacy as a one of the all-time one-year wonders with the Minneapolis Miracle.
8 — 1986 Tommy Kramer
Key stat: Vikings ranked fourth in scoring in ‘86 and Kramer topped Dan Marino for the league lead in QB rating
Kramer’s career was marred by injuries and uninspiring supporting casts but everything came together for him in ‘86. He pushed the ball downfield to Anthony Carter and Leo Lewis, who both averaged more than 18 yards per catch, but didn’t struggle with interceptions as he did at other times in his career. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they lost three games by four points or fewer down the stretch and missed the playoffs despite tremendous play from their quarterback.
9 — 1969 Joe Kapp
Key stat: Second in MVP voting, No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL
If you thought Keenum’s unlikely season came out of nowhere, I present you with Joe Kapp. The same quarterback who registered a 58.8 rating in ‘68 was at the center of the NFL’s best offense the following season and nearly took home the MVP trophy. He took the Vikings to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was gone the following year and went 1-9 as a Boston Patriot.
10 — 1964 Fran Tarkenton
Key stat: Only behind Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas in passer rating, fourth in passing yards and added 330 rushing yards
Frankly, there’s a lot of Tarkenton seasons that belong in the top 20 but ‘64 gets a nod for being his breakout year. Tarkenton made his first Pro Bowl and led the NFL in game-winning drives and it marked a turning point for the franchise toward being a yearly contender.
11 — 1988 Wade Wilson
Key stat: Second in the NFL in yards per attempt, led the league in completion percentage, third in passer rating, Vikings ranked fourth in offense
Wilson took the Vikings to the NFC Championship game in ‘87 but only started seven games that regular season. In ‘88, his performance carried over from the previous year’s playoffs. The team didn’t go as far in the postseason but Wilson led them to victory in the Wild Card round over Los Angeles. He also made his only career Pro Bowl appearance that year.
12 — 2019 Kirk Cousins
Key stat: Fourth in QB rating, fourth best PFF grade, eighth in offensive scoring 2003
Capped off by a game-winning drive in the playoffs against New Orleans, Cousins’ 2019 season was his best as a Viking. He clicked with offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski and took advantage of opponents focusing on Dalvin Cook in the backfield in order to hit deep shots to Stefon Diggs. More impressive was the fact that Cousins had his strong season while missing Adam Thielen for a significant portion of the year.
13 — 2003 Daunte Culpepper
Key stat: Only behind Steve McNair and Peyton Manning in passer rating, second in yards per attempt, rushed for 422 yards
The 2003 Vikings season has been tossed in the closet never to be let out by Vikings fans because of the way it ended but Culpepper was still very good overall. Culpepper’s offense gained the most total yards in the NFL and Randy Moss had arguably his best season with 111 catches for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. If only Josh McCown hadn’t ruined it…
14 — 1973 Fran Tarkenton
Key stat: Sixth highest QB rating in the Super Bowl era to that point, lowest INT percentage in the NFL
Tarkenton wasn’t rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl in ‘73 despite posting his highest career QB rating and leading the Vikings to 12 wins. That may have been because of the low volume of throws with only 274 passes but he was stellar as ever.
15 — 2016 Sam Bradford
Key stat: Sixth in passer rating, tied for fifth in big-time throw percentage, NFL record for completion percentage
Considering the circumstances, Bradford deserved more credit for the ‘16 season than he received. He came to Minnesota 10 days before the season and won his first start at US Bank Stadium against the Packers. Ultimately the offensive line fell apart and the Vikings’ defense wasn’t strong enough to stave off a late-season collapse but Bradford showed that he could have been a franchise quarterback in the right situation.
16 — 1997 Brad Johnson
Key stat: Third best completion percentage, second in game-winning drives in ‘97
Johnson pushed the Vikings into the playoffs by avoiding sacks and interceptions and making some clutch plays when it mattered. His 84.5 QB rating wasn’t flashy but the Vikings had the seventh fewest turnovers in the league. Johnson got hurt toward the end of the season and Randall Cunningham beat the Giants in the first round of the playoffs.
17 — 2015 Teddy Bridgewater
Key stat: Seventh best offense in scoring percentage, 10th best QB rating with a clean pocket
The second-year QB wasn’t blessed with good blocking or a quality receiving corps or an offensive coordinator whose system fit him or a kicker who could make it from 27 yards but Bridgewater did enough for the Vikings to win 11 games and put themselves in position to win a playoff game. He showed enough promise for the team to believe he was going to be their long-term quarterback.
18 — 1999 Jeff George
Key stat: Third highest QB rating in ‘99, only trailed Kurt Warner in yards per attempt, second in game-winning drives to Peyton Manning
Off the bench and into the fire, George came out firing after Cunningham was benched. With his rocket arm and the Moss-Carter combo at his disposal, the former Colt and Falcon saved a season that started 2-4. He won a playoff game against the Cowboys and scored 37 against the Rams in a loss.
19 — 2020 Kirk Cousins
Key stat: Second in yards per attempt, second in yards per completion, ninth in PFF grade
Despite a rough start to the 2020 season, Cousins finished the year as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL, especially when it came to throwing the ball downfield.
20 — 1980 Tommy Kramer
Key stat: Tied for NFL lead in game-winning drives, third in yards per game
There’s a lot of seasons that could go in this place but Kramer was leaned upon heavily in ‘80 and dragged the Vikings into the playoffs with clutch performances.
