When it comes to performing well and leading the Minnesota Vikings to wins, which quarterback in the team’s history has had the most success in the playoffs?
During the first two decades of their existence, the Minnesota Vikings had multiple instances of success during the playoffs.
From 1961 to 1976, only the Dallas Cowboys (19) and Oakland Raiders (18) appeared in more postseason games than the Vikings, who took the field for 16 playoff contests during this span. During this 15-year period, Minnesota also managed to earn a spot in four separate Super Bowls, the most of any team in the NFL.
Since then, the Vikings have found themselves in the postseason more often than not, but their level of success hasn’t been as high as they only have 13 playoff wins, and they haven’t appeared in a Super Bowl since 1976.
Which former Minnesota Vikings quarterback was the most successful in the playoffs?
Since their very first appearance in the postseason in 1968, 18 different quarterbacks have started at least one playoff game under center in a Minnesota uniform.
Below is the win-loss record and winning percentage in the postseason for each of these 18 quarterbacks.
- Fran Tarkenton = 6-5 (.545)
- Randall Cunningham = 2-2 (.500)
- Daunte Culpepper = 2-2 (.500)
- Tommy Krammer = 2-2 (.500)
- Brett Favre = 1-1 (.500)
- Jeff George = 1-1 (.500)
- Case Keenum = 1-1 (.500)
- Wade Wilson = 2-3 (.400)
- Kirk Cousins = 1-2 (.333)
- Bob Lee = 1-2 (.333)
- Teddy Bridgewater = 0-1 (.000)
- Tarvaris Jackson = 0-1 (.000)
- Brad Johnson = 0-1 (.000)
- Gary Cuozzo = 0-1 (.000)
- Jim McMahon = 0-1 (.000)
- Warren Moon = 0-1 (.000)
- Sean Salsbury = 0-1 (.000)
- Joe Webb = 0-1 (.000)
Despite his last playoff appearance coming during the 1978 season, Fran Tarkenton is still the most successful postseason quarterback in the history of the Vikings.
This shouldn’t really come as a surprise though, since Tarkenton was the guy starting under center for Minnesota in three of their four trips to the Super Bowl.
Since the Hall of Famer retired, the Vikings still haven’t been able to find a quarterback to lead them to any significant amount of success in the playoffs. Will the new regime of Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be able to change this for Minnesota in the near future?