On a list of the 16 best quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL on NFL.com, three of those passers at one time played for the Minnesota Vikings.
When a list is made listing only the 16 best quarterbacks ever to play the game of football, it is hard to expect to find many members of the Minnesota Vikings included. However, when Gil Brandt released his list, there were actually 3 former players from the franchise.
Included on the list were a trio of great passers from Minnesota’s history, including Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, and Brett Favre. Each of those men are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and have given fans many great moments during their careers.
The first player on the countdown appearing at number 16 is Fran Tarkenton. “The Mad Scrambler” was known for making defenses crazy for having to chase him around the football field. A third round draft pick of Minnesota in 1961, Tarkenton played with the Vikings through the 1966 season before moving on to the Giants. He played with New York until 1972, when he rejoined Minnesota for the final 7 years of his career.
Here are the accomplishments Brandt listed for Tarkenton:
- NFL MVP
- Voted to Pro Bowl nine times, First Team All-Pro once
- 47,003 career passing yards, 342 career touchdowns, 32 career rushing touchdowns
- 124 career victories
- Enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Up next on the list is Warren Moon. At number 13 on the countdown, Moon joined the Houston Oilers as an undrafted free agent in 1984 before coming to Minnesota for the 1994 season. He spent three years with the Vikings, but finished his career with two seasons in Seattle and Kansas City. Here are the achievements Brandt listed for Moon:
- Voted to Pro Bowl nine times, First Team All-Pro once
- 49,325 career passing yards, 291 career touchdowns
- 102 career victories
- Enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame
Finally, the last member of Minnesota’s team appears at number six. Brett Favre was a second round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 who was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a first round pick after just one season. Favre stayed in Green Bay until 2007, when he spent one season with the Jets before coming to the Vikings for his final two seasons. Here are Brandt’s listed accomplishments for Favre:
- One-time Super Bowl champion
- Three-time NFL MVP
- Voted to Pro Bowl 11 times, First Team All-Pro three times
- 71,838 career passing yards, 508 career touchdowns,
- Tied for career victories lead with 186
- Enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Congratulations to former Minnesota Vikings Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, and Brett Favre for being included in this list and huge thanks to Gil Brandt for recognizing the talent of these amazing quarterbacks in his countdown.