Minnesota Vikings 2017 positional needs evaluation: Quarterbacks

In the first of the series looking at positional needs for the Minnesota Vikings, their current situation at quarterback will be evaluated and analyzed.

Many experts and fans of professional football know that a team will only go as far as their quarterback can take them. Minnesota Vikings fans know this all too well after struggling for many years to find a long-term answer at the position.

Heading into the 2017 season, the Vikings have accumulated what looks to be a solid grouping of passers to lead the team. However, the franchise might still feel there is work to be done on improving their roster.

Here are the current quarterbacks who are under contract by the Minnesota Vikings entering the 2017 NFL season:

• Sam Bradford (29) – Signed through 2017
• Case Keenum (29) – Signed through 2017
• Taylor Heinicke (24) – Signed through 2017
• Teddy Bridgewater (25) – Signed through 2017

The first thing to note is that Sam Bradford is the team’s starting quarterback. He more than earned that right during the 2016 season by setting franchise and NFL records for pass completion percentage and helping to make bigger stars of Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph.

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However, the scary thing from this list is that there is absolutely no long-term solution. Nobody is signed past the 2017 season unless the Vikings use their 5th year option on Teddy Bridgewater or work out an extension for another player. Minnesota needs to be looking to the future at this position.

Both Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke should be seen as competition for the backup role to Bradford. However, the big wild card in this whole situation is Teddy Bridgewater.

Depending on how healthy he is, the team could decide to start him on the PUP list in order to see just how far he has come during his knee rehabilitation. Expectations are still that Bridgewater will likely sit out the 2017 season, but crazier things have happened in the NFL and his rehabilitation seems to be going very well.

Next: Vikings free agency tracker

It would be a bit surprising to see the Minnesota Vikings sign an additional quarterback or use one of their top picks on one. However, in the later rounds the team would be smart to pick up a training camp passer to develop while the situation with Teddy Bridgewater unfolds. In the meantime, this is Sam Bradford’s team…at least through 2017.