The Minnesota Vikings have a fun and unique situation facing them for the 2024 NFL Season. Their franchise quarterback, future at the position, is out for the year and they are facing the realization that Sam Darnold is the man for the upcoming season.
Behind Darnold, things begin to get even murkier than the idea of playing the former USC Trojan alone.
Quarterbacks Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall have both played for the Vikings for the last two seasons. Both had mild success, but only one was drafted in the fifth round, where one was a UDFA and signed off waivers. Despite playing very well in the preseason finale, Hall could still be on the edge of the roster’s cliff.
Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune predicts that Hall could find himself on waivers but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t interested in keeping him. They could look to land him on practice squad which would allow the team to keep him while also giving the team the flexibility of another roster spot for someone else.
Having Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens on the 53-man roster is a safe bet. Either one seemingly give the team the same chance at winning but keeping Hall around also allows him to keep developing. When he was drafted in 2023 no one expected him to be an NFL quarterback on day one.
The development we saw this preseason is reassuring but he has a long way to go, keeping him around allows the Vikings to remain invested in him with the potential for a high return on investment.