From Austin Schlottmann to Jerry Huth and everyone in between, we take a look at everyone who has worn No. 65 for the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s the final countdown…
Well, sort of.
The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 65 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.
From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players that have worn that specific jersey number.
Offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann is currently wearing the number for the Vikings. Before him, Pat Elflein and John Sullivan wore the number for an extended period.
With 65 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 65 with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):
After covering Minnesota Vikings drafts for the last 17 years, @jzulgad identifies his top draft pick from each round.
This year will mark the 18th year that I’ve covered the Vikings’ draft.
There have been 156 players taken since my first draft in 2006, starting with Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway being selected in the first round. There have been 18 other opening-round selections.
Brad Childress, with assistance from Fran Foley and then Rick Spielman, ran the draft for five years. Spielman was the main decision maker for the next 11 years and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah assumed the role beginning last year.
Looking back through these drafts there have been plenty of hits and many misses. Below I attempt to rank the Vikings’ top selection in each round of the past 17 drafts.
Sean McVay sees Eric Weddle, John Sullivan and John Johnson as guys who would make great coaches.
It’s not uncommon for an NFL player to pursue a career in coaching after his playing days are over. Wes Welker has done it. So has Jerod Mayo. Mike Vrabel even went on to become a head coach like Mike Ditka and Mike Singletary, among many others.
Players who do make that transition often held leadership roles during their time in the NFL. The Rams have several guys who could go on to become coaches someday, with Andrew Whitworth being an obvious choice.
Sean McVay was asked by a listener of the “Flying Coach” podcast which players he could see going on to become good coaches, and he named a handful of current and former Rams.
“Couple guys that I think would make seamless transitions. When we first got here, a guy we put a lot on his shoulders who was so smart – if he wanted to, I think that John Sullivan would make a great coach,” McVay said. “I think I learned so much from him. Feel the same way about Eric Weddle. At the same time, I’ve got a tough time believing guys like Aaron Donald, because of how demanding and how consistent they are, would be a great coach if they wanted to. The Andrew Whitworths. It’s all about the perspective that these guys have. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are about as special as it gets in terms of their big-picture understanding from the receiver position. It shows you that I’m a big fan of a lot of our players because I think they would make seamless transitions.”
McVay narrowed his list a bit after rattling off some names, specifically highlighting Sullivan, Weddle and former Rams safety John Johnson. Matthew Stafford unsurprisingly earned a mention from McVay, given his command of an NFL offense.
“But if I were to say a couple guys that you’ve really been around, here’s the guys that I would really say just in the short amount of time the four years that I’ve been a head coach,” he said. “John Sullivan and Eric Weddle are unbelievably smart players. I think John Johnson, who’s going onto the Browns, is in that same sort of mold as what Eric is. Great communicators, charisma, presence. I think John Johnson would be outstanding. And then the guys like the Kupps, the Woods, and obviously Stafford’s command of it all. Those are guys that kind of stand out that I think would make great coaches if they decided to pursue that profession.”
Quarterbacks make a ton of sense as potential coaches in the NFL. They’re the closest thing to a coach on the field, and they’re the ones making the calls in the huddle, getting the offense aligned and leading their teammates.
Defensive signal callers, as John Johnson was last season, also make good coaching candidates, according to McVay.
“I think some positions are innately thrust into a leadership role,” he said. “That’s why I talk about the quarterbacks and then whoever has the green dot on defense are naturally going to be the most seamless transitions to coaches because they’re responsible for transmitting information. They’re a lot of times an extension of the coaching staff. I think the center position is like that. Whitworth is in essence an extension of the coaching staff with the way that he pours into our younger guys. Lot of different guys that are reflective of being great coaches, but oh by the way, they happen to be outstanding athletes and players.”
Could we one day see Weddle, Sullivan or Whitworth on McVay’s coaching staff in L.A.? Weddle said last year he’d be open to coaching and scouting with the Ravens, so he might prioritize Baltimore. But Whitworth loves Los Angeles and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him become a coach at some point down the road.
John Sullivan had some high praise for Todd Gurley, comparing him to Adrian Peterson.
Todd Gurley’s reputation as one of the best running backs in the NFL all but disappeared last season as his workload was limited and he struggled to find the consistency running and catching the ball that he showed in previous years. That shouldn’t take away from how good he was at his peak, though.
Former Rams center John Sullivan blocked for Gurley for two years in Los Angeles. He also blocked for Adrian Peterson in Minnesota during his heyday with the Vikings. Sullivan knows better than most just how comparative Gurley and Peterson are, and he’d put them on the same level.
“He’s one of if not the best skill-position player I’ve ever played with in my career,” Sullivan told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “He’s a different running back than Adrian was — but on that same level. Todd is a Hall of Fame-type talent. The Falcons are lucky to have him.”
Gurley’s struggles last season led to the Rams cutting him this offseason, but it didn’t take long for him to land with another team. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Falcons the day after being cut by the Rams, heading back to the state where he played his college football.
His resume obviously isn’t strong enough for the Hall of Fame yet, but he does have two All-Pro selections, as well as Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year awards to his name. Still, he has a long way to go before he’s considered a Hall of Famer the way Peterson is.
Breaking down the best offensive players to play for the Los Angeles (and St. Louis) Rams during the 2010s.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The 2010s were quite an eventful decade for the Rams franchise. They played in two different cities, had the first overall pick twice, played in a Super Bowl, drafted a generational talent and a massive bust in the first round of the same draft, won two games in a season, hired a coach who produced a timeless meme, and hired another coach who changed how teams hire coaches in the NFL.
There were some incredible highs and some devastating lows. This list is no different. There are players on this list that would make anybody’s overall NFL All-Decade team, and there are players on this list that maybe shouldn’t have even been starting games in the NFL. The Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams of the 2010s were a rollercoaster ride. This list will give you a chance to relive it.
To select our All-Decade Team, we only considered what players did between the 2010 and 2019 seasons. For example, when considering Steven Jackson, we wouldn’t take into account his entire career with the Rams, just his three years playing for the team this decade.
Let’s get into it, starting with the offense.
Quarterback: Jared Goff (2016 – 2019)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Goff is the only real option here. In his three full seasons as the Rams starting quarterback, Goff threw for 13,130 yards while completing 63% of his passes. He tossed 82 touchdown passes against 35 interceptions and added five touchdowns on the ground. His rookie season may have been abysmal, but Goff bounced back with two very impressive seasons in 2017 and 2018. He was the first Rams quarterback to be selected to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Kurt Warner in 2000-2001.
Most importantly, he’s helped the team win football games – something the Rams’ other QBs from last decade struggled to do. The Rams have put together three straight winning seasons for the first time since the days of the Greatest Show on Turf. Goff played a significant role in leading the Rams to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance in 2018. He holds a 33-14 record as the Rams starting quarterback since 2017.
Goff left a lot to be desired in 2019, but his overall tenure with the Rams has been a success. Let’s hope he can return to form in 2020 and cement himself as the quarterback for next decade’s team.
John Sullivan was open to returning to the Rams, but he wasn’t going to wait forever.
The Los Angeles Rams had major issues on their offensive line this past season, specifically at guard and center. They decided to replace Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan with Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen, both of whom landed on injured reserve by Week 11.
Saffold left in free agency for a lucrative deal with the Titans, but it was the Rams’ choice to move on from Sullivan. They declined his option for 2019, which would’ve cost them $6.25 million and saved them $5.5 million in cap space.
Sullivan spoke to Rich Hammond of The Athletic recently about his transformation from NFL center to 240-pound retiree, and he said he would’ve been open to returning to the Rams – even as a backup for a lower price.
They encouraged him to stay in shape and told him they might re-sign him later in the offseason. Sullivan wanted to return, even at a lower salary, and even if it meant being a backup to young center Brian Allen.
The Rams didn’t select a center in the 2019 draft, which Sullivan saw as a potential opening for him to return and compete with Allen. However, in May, Sean McVay told Sullivan he wouldn’t be re-signed, but said he’d be one of their top candidates if they needed a center at some point.
“They didn’t draft a center,” Sullivan said, “so at that point in time, it signaled to me that there was a good likelihood that they were going to bring me back and that Brian and I probably would compete for the job. I was more than comfortable being a backup, if that was the direction they wanted to go.”
Sullivan wasn’t going to wait around forever for the Rams to make up their mind, though. He wanted to transition to his new life of being retired and taking care of his body.
“We’ve always communicated very clearly with each other,” Sullivan said, “so I just told (McVay) — and there’s no malice as I repeat this story — but I just told him that I’m not going to put my life on hold on the off chance that, at some point, you guys either have a need for me or you want to bring me back.”
The Rams could’ve used Sullivan last season after Allen went down, and even before that point. Allen struggled early on, especially in pass protection. Sullivan was by no means perfect in 2018, but he was still a quality player and veteran voice in the locker room.
When Allen got hurt, Austin Blythe switched from guard to center, causing other shakeups at left guard and right guard. It remains to be seen how the Rams will handle the center position next season, but it’s safe to assume Allen will get another chance to start.
John Sullivan has transformed himself since he last played in the NFL.
John Sullivan joined the Rams in 2017 as part of the team’s makeover when Sean McVay arrived. He spent two years as the starting center, but last offseason, the Rams declined his option for 2019 and he became a free agent.
While he didn’t officially announce his retirement from the NFL, it’s safe to say he’s not going back to playing football. Sullivan has slimmed down considerably, shedding more than 70 pounds since the last time he suited up.
He shared this photo on Instagram showing his new physique, saying that he’s down to 240 pounds. He was last listed at 312 pounds when he was with the Rams.
Sullivan isn’t the first player to drop significant weight after leaving the NFL. Joe Thomas did the same, as has former Colts center Jeff Saturday. Both have transitioned to analyst careers.
Some fans were holding out hope last season that Sullivan might re-join the Rams after Brian Allen landed on IR, but it’s now clear that was never going to happen.
The Rams have had the worst offensive line in football this year. You can blame the players, but blame falls on the guys that trusted them.
Things continue to get worse for the Rams’ struggling offensive line. After another horrifying performance against Pittsburgh on Sunday, the team has announced it’ll be without two starters up front for Week 11. Rob Havenstein has been ruled out for Sunday and could be out for a few weeks, while, starting center Brian Allen has is out for the remainder of the season.
For the first two years of Sean McVay’s tenure as head coach, the Rams rolled out a healthy and reliable offensive line. Not a single starter missed significant time as the offense rolled to back-to-back NFC West titles. The offensive line was the engine that kept the offense rolling.
In Year 3, the Rams have fielded the NFL’s worst offensive line, and the offense has struggled mightily as a result. They’ve gone from one of the most feared offensive units in the NFL to one of the league’s most exploitable and turnover-prone. The difference between McVay’s 2018 and 2019 offenses is night and day.
Injuries have devastated this offensive line. Still, they were bad before the injuries, and they’ll likely continue to be bad in the weeks ahead. The players deserve blame for their poor play. But the front office and the coaching staff deserve more of the blame for actually thinking this would work.
Stability and consistency were staples of the Rams offensive line in 2017 and 2018. Six players started meaningful games for the Rams in that stretch: Andrew Whitworth, Roger Saffold, John Sullivan, Rob Havenstein, and Jamon Brown, who was replaced by Austin Blythe in 2018. They weren’t a perfect unit, but it was rare that they’d be the reason the Rams lost a game, even with Sullivan’s slump in 2018. Jared Goff and Todd Gurley were comfortable playing behind that unit, which allowed Mcvay to unleash the offense he wanted to run.
The Rams chose to break up this unit. It wasn’t forced upon them, it was a choice. The decisions to move on from Sullivan and Saffold were financial ones. Sullivan wasn’t worth the money he was owed, but as far as we’re aware, the Rams made no attempt to bring him back on a cheaper deal. They simply declined his option for this season.
As for Saffold, it’s obvious that the Rams didn’t want to pay him the money he had coming to him. Saffold signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Titans after eight seasons with the Rams. But Saffold’s contract has a cap number of just $6.375 million with an out after the 2020 season that wouldn’t result in a devastating cap hit. The Rams could have made this contract work if they thought he was worth it. They’re paying Clay Matthews similar money this season and had the cap space to give Tyler Higbee a four-year, $29 million contract extension. The Rams could have afforded to pay Roger Saffold, they just didn’t want to.
(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Still, walking away from Saffold wasn’t the worst decision. The bigger problem was how the team chose to replace Saffold and Sullivan. When the Rams didn’t add a single offensive lineman in free agency, many figured they’d choose to address the need with their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
They didn’t. The Rams chose to trade out of the first round and move back 14 picks. Six of those 14 picks ended up being offensive lineman. The Rams still had a chance to take center Eric McCoy at 45. They decided to move back again and chose safety Taylor Rapp at 61. While Rapp has turned out to be a solid pick, McCoy is currently the starting center in New Orleans and has the second-highest PFF grade in the league at the position. The Rams did select two offensive linemen during the draft: Bobby Evans in the late-third round, and David Edwards in the late-fifth round.
The decision to move on from Saffold and Sullivan and not replace them in the offseason was due to the team’s trust in 2018 mid-round picks Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen. Both the front office and the coaching staff must have agreed that Allen and Noteboom were good enough to replace Saffold and Sullivan despite no in-game evidence proving as much. Neither guy played any real meaningful snaps in 2018. Still, it sounded like McVay trusted them. That was enough to keep most fans optimistic about the pairing heading into 2019. Clearly, it wasn’t the right decision.
The team’s decision to add essentially no depth behind their new offensive line may have been an even worse decision. Drafting Evans and Edwards was the extent of the Rams adding offensive linemen this offseason. Since McVay doesn’t play his starters in the preseason, which included Allen and Noteboom this year, the backups got a chance to shine on the offensive line. They shined about as bright as a dull rock that had been buried under thousands of pounds of dirt for centuries. Jamil Demby, the team’s first lineman off the bench at every position, looked like he didn’t even belong in the NFL. It became clear quickly that the Rams would be in big trouble should a starter get injured.
It became just as clear that the Rams were already in big trouble early on in the season. Not only were Allen and Noteboom completely in over their heads, the right side of the line seemingly forgot how to play football, and father time continued to catch up with Whitworth. The Rams couldn’t have predicted that their three vets would regress like they did, but they should have known that their new additions would have failed to pick up the slack. They put all their eggs in the Allen and Noteboom basket. That basket was filled with holes, and now all we have to show for it is broken eggs.
In addition to Noteboom and Allen being exposed this year, the team’s lack of line depth came back to haunt them. Demby graded out as one of the worst offensive linemen in the NFL while filling in for Noteboom and went from starting to being a healthy scratch. Edwards has looked better than expected filling in at guard, but he’s not exactly setting the world on fire. With both Allen and Havenstein set to miss next week’s game against Chicago, the team will turn to Blythe at center and likely in-season acquisition Austin Corbett at left guard. Bobby Evans could take over at right tackle with Edwards remaining at right guard.
Goff and Gurley have been noticeably worse in 2019. McVay’s play-calling has been questionable at times. But the source of the offense’s regression starts and ends with the offensive line. They replaced veterans with un-proven youth, and the youth failed to prove anything. They’ve been bad, but maybe they weren’t that good to begin with? You can’t blame bad players for being bad. You have to blame the people who trusted them to be good.
The Rams dug themselves into this hole in the offseason. They’re going to need a pretty big shovel to dig themselves out of it. They’re not getting that shovel this season, and it might be tough to find a shovel big enough to dig themselves out of the hole this offseason. Snead and McVay have quite the task ahead of them when it comes to salvaging this offensive line.
