4 former Vikings who forced their way out of Minnesota

During their existence, the Minnesota Vikings have been home to some of the best players to ever step foot on an NFL field. Some spent the majority of their careers with the Vikings, while others only had a brief stint in Minnesota.

For whatever reason, whenever a Vikings player or another member of a pro Minnesota sports team starts to experience a bunch of success, a number of people in the national media begin to assume that player will eventually want to play for an organization outside of the Twin Cities that is located in a bigger market.

This was something that was recently discussed about Anthony Edwards of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves despite there being any actual legitimate signs of him wanting out. But if Edwards were to actually want to play somewhere else, he would join a number of notable former Vikings players who found a way to force their way out of town.

Former Minnesota Vikings players who forced their way out of the Twin Cities

Fran Tarkenton - QB (1967)

Fran Tarkenton is the best quarterback to ever put on a Vikings uniform. But before Tarkenton helped lead Minnesota to three appearances in the Super Bowl between 1973 and 1976, he forced the Vikings to trade him to the New York Giants in 1967 after growing tired of former Minnesota head coach Norm Van Brocklin.

Luckily for the Vikings, Tarkenton eventually wanted out of New York, and he was traded back to Minnesota in 1972. He then spent the next seven seasons with the Vikings until he retired after the 1978 campaign.

Percy Harvin - WR (2013)

Prior to the start of the 2012 season, former Minnesota wide receiver Percy Harvin shared how he wasn't happy with the Vikings, and he eventually requested a trade.

Harvin didn't get his wish immediately granted, but shortly after former Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman muttered the infamous phrase that the team had "no intent" of sending the receiver elsewhere, Harvin was dealt to the Seattle Seahawks.

Daunte Culpepper - QB (2006)

During the middle of the 2003 offseason, the Vikings decided to reward Duante Culpepper with a 10-year contract extension worth $102 million. Following the extension, many assumed Culpepper was going to likely remain in Minnesota for his entire NFL career.

However, things quickly changed during the 2006 offseason after the former Minnesota quarterback was angered by an email he received from the team. Culpepper's reaction wound up resulting in him requesting the Vikings to trade or release him. Less than a week after his request, Minnesota sent him to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a second-round draft selection.

Stefon Diggs - WR (2020)

Despite landing a lucrative contract extension during the 2018 offseason, Stefon Diggs grew tired of his role in the Vikings' run-first offense under former head coach Mike Zimmer. Diggs' frustrations came to a head in 2019 when he was a no-call, no-show for a mandatory practice during the middle of the season, which then resulted in the team fining him a significant amount of money.

Following the conclusion of the 2019 season, the wide receiver's desire to get out of Minnesota seemed to only grow, and after sending out multiple cryptic tweets, Diggs was eventually given what he wanted when the team traded him to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a return package that included the first-round draft pick the Vikings used to select Justin Jefferson in 2020.

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