3 Hall of Famers who almost played for the Minnesota Vikings

Dan Marino – QB

Speaking of quarterbacks, the Vikings didn’t really have much stability under center after a 1999 season that resulted in Jeff George starting 10 games for them.

Heading into the 2000 season, Minnesota’s group of quarterbacks were led by an unproven passer in Daunte Culpepper. It seemed like Culpepper was going to step in and be the starter for the Vikings in 2000, but the team also expressed some interest in signing future Hall of Fame passer Dan Marino.

Marino spent his entire career as a member of the Miami Dolphins and during the 2000 offseason, he was apparently going to retire or sign with Minnesota. In the end, the 38-year-old quarterback decided that his time in the NFL was done and he chose to retire instead of giving it one last shot with the Vikings.

It was probably a tough decision for Marino to make since he was never able to win a Super Bowl during his pro career. Joining a Minnesota offense that included playmakers like Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Robert Smith could have been the perfect recipe for the veteran signal-caller to win his first-ever championship.

Luckily for the Vikings, Culpepper ended up playing really well during the 2000 season and the team was even able to make it all the way to the NFC Championship.