Vikings Training Camp 2020: Previewing the quarterbacks

Will the Vikings keep three QBs in 2020?

In a normal year, we probably wouldn’t talk too much about what was behind Mannion because the Vikings probably wouldn’t need to go that deep. But with the threat of COVID-19 and the possibility of positive tests during the season, there’s a small chance that Nate Stanley and Jake Browning could see the field at some point in 2020.

Browning was one of the biggest names that Minnesota was able to nab as a UDFA in 2019. But again, there wasn’t much that suggested he’d be the next Tony Romo.

While his sophomore season at Washington was a masterpiece with 43 touchdowns and nine interceptions, Browning’s stats went down in both his junior and senior campaigns and someone who looked to be a sure-fire top quarterback prospect, slid all the way out of the draft.

The Vikings didn’t get much better when they opted to select Stanley in the seventh round of this year’s draft either. While Minnesota Golden Gopher fans will have flashbacks of Stanley destroying their undefeated season last November, that was just an example of the “all-or-nothing” style he perfected during his college career at Iowa.

Consistency has been a major issue for Stanley as his accuracy and overall play has had its share of peaks and valleys. If anything, he’s more of a project thanks to a 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame and massive arm. But if he doesn’t know where he’s throwing it, it’s kind of a moot point.

In a most likely scenario, Browning and Stanley will compete for the third quarterback job this summer. If injuries run wild, there’s a chance that either might see the field this year. But if that happens, the 2020 season has gone horribly wrong for the Vikings.