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Quarterback Quandary

With quarterback Sam Bradford out for the second-consecutive week, there is a growing concern in Minnesota for the quarterback position.

After a victorious first game at U.S. Bank Stadium against the New Orleans Saints, the 2017 Minnesota Vikings season looked promising, even if it was the lowly Saints. Quarterback Sam Bradford was dealing in the contest, completing 27 of 32 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns.
But what now?
Bradford’s knee is a question mark, and backup Case Keenum did not look great against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Do the Vikings stick with their backup? Is Teddy Bridgewater an option at some point this season? Are there free agent finds in case Bradford is sidelined for longer than we can fathom? There are a million questions to be answered, and it is only week three folks.


The ‘Case’ for Keenum

The 29-year old quarterback has been in the league for five years but has not yet had an opportunity to shine. Keenum was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 by the Houston Texans and has also seen some time with the St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams. The 6’1” quarterback currently holds the NCAA’s all-time passing yards, touchdowns and completions from his time at the University of Houston.
What’s not to like about those achievements?
His draft profile had him as a prolific passer from inside the pocket, but his size has always been the weight holding him down. Other quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and others went on to have a successful career in the NFL as shorter play-callers—why couldn’t Keenum? For the quarterback to be successful, the offensive line needs to protect on a consistent basis. Even with all new faces starting on the offensive line for the Vikings, it is yet to be proven if they will hold their own for the remaining 14 games. A solid performance by them against New Orleans was followed by an inconsistent performance at Pittsburgh. Keenum is a pocket passer, which will be difficult to foresee greatness in the future.
His playing time in the NFL has been limited, as he will be playing in his 28th career game. For the other 27, he has a record of 9-16 and a completion percentage of 58.2. He has thrown 24 touchdowns but also 20 interceptions. Yes, he played with the dreadful Texans and the subpar Rams. In fact, the 2017 Vikings may be the greatest team he has been on. But with such little to work with, the Vikings will have to start Keenum and create judgments based on that.


“But what about Teddy!?”

…What about Teddy? The quarterback is still attempting an improbable comeback, so let that work itself before you can even question a return. And even if Bridgewater makes a comeback (we are all hoping so, from the goodness of our hearts) who KNOWS what kind of quarterback will remain. If anything, general manager Rick Spielman and the rest of the Vikings’ front office now faces a tough dilemma. Bradford and Bridgewater’s contract expires at the end of the season, and now with both of them out makes the decision even more difficult to decide. Regarding Teddy Bridgewater, now is not the time to ask for what he can do for the team. Maybe later in the season, but that is a solid maybe.

Could the Vikings turn to free agency or a trade?


Last season when Bridgewater went down with his injury, I personally did not think we could end up with someone like Bradford. We gave up a bit to get him, but we had a team we thought could win now so that is ultimately why the Vikings made the move. What about this season? Does the front office go into panic mode and work out a trade or even acquire a free agent? It all comes down to the play of Keenum. The Vikings were not going to play 16 games with Shaun Hill starting under center in 2016. Keenum is younger and more capable of doing so; it simply comes down to whether he can perform well or not. In a future article, I will get into some possible names the Vikings could bring to the franchise to (possibly) save the season. But one name that immediately comes to mind is Colin Kaepernick… because no one else that is a free agent is even worth mentioning (Robert Griffin, Johnny Manziel, Christian Ponder… I’ll stop there).

The Vikings face an up-and-coming Tampa Bay Buccaneers team Sunday with an unproven quarterback and a steady defense. We shall see what happens and form new opinions after. Until then, Skol everyone.
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