7 biggest takeaways from the Vikings loss to the Packers in Week 17

Vikings Takeaway No. 4

Jaren Hall reminded everyone he was drafted in the fifth round

After Nick Mullens threw a total of six interceptions in his two starts and Josh Dobbs threw a total of five picks in his four starts, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell wanted to go into Sunday's matchup against the Packers with a signal-caller who was potentially going to turn the ball over at a much lower frequency.

So, for Sunday night, O'Connell went with rookie Jaren Hall as the Vikings starting quarterback. But after five of Minnesota's first six offensive drives with Hall under center resulted in a punt or a turnover, O'Connell was quickly reminded why he had been so hesitant to put the rookie out on the field this season, and he inserted Mullens back in as the starter for the second half.

Hall wasn't terrible against Green Bay, there have certainly been worse performances around the NFL this season. But he wasn't good either.

Instead of focusing on moving the ball downfield, he looked like all he was attempting to do was avoid turning the ball over. It's understandable if O'Connell placed a major emphasis on ball security during practice last week, and if this happened, perhaps it scared Hall from taking more chances downfield.

But Hall wasn't a Day 1 draft pick in 2023. He wasn't even a Day 2 draft pick. Hall was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 draft by the Vikings for a reason.

He has some traits that can lead him to success in the NFL, but the reality is that he still has a lot to work on before he can even become a solid backup in the league.

With O'Connell saying after Sunday's game that he didn't know who would be starting under center for Minnesota next weekend against the Lions, it's possible that Hall could get another shot to start.

But after his performance against the Packers, the chances of him getting the start again for the Vikings in their regular-season finale don't seem very high, especially when a playoff spot will still be on the line.