GettyQuarterback Jaren Hall #16 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings added two quarterbacks this offseason, likely leaving at least one of the two holdovers from last year as the odd man out.
Sam Darnold is the organization’s present, though his timeline as the starter is murky and will depend on how well he plays along with the development curve of rookie J.J. McCarthy. Meanwhile, McCarthy is the undisputed future of the franchise after the Vikings traded up and spent the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft to acquire him.
That leaves Nick Mullens and 2023 fifth-rounder Jaren Hall to jockey for the backup job until McCarthy is ready, at which point the winner drops to third-string. Before that happens, though, the loser is likely to seek employment elsewhere, as Minnesota doesn’t need to carry four QBs on its roster once the regular season begins in September.
That said, there is no reason for the Vikings to cut Mullens or Hall. The former has proven himself capable of starting and playing well in a pinch, though he is a career backup, while the latter has presumably only scratched the surface of what he might become as an NFL quarterback.
If Minnesota is playing the odds, the better bet at backup is Mullens based on his professional experience and history of moderate performance. That leaves Hall as a potential trade chip, and David Kenyon of Bleacher Report believes the second-year signal-caller has meaningful value across the league.
“Given that Hall is younger and cheaper [than Mullens], it’s logical to say Minnesota will retain him. The value coaches place on system knowledge can never be discounted, though, so Mullens might end up being the Vikings’ pick anyway,” Kenyon wrote. “Hall is a perfect candidate to develop into an infuriating-to-everyone-else solid reserve on a quality team.”
Hall Should Appeal to Several NFL Teams, Even Those With Solid Options at QB
GettyQuarterback Jaren Hall of the Minnesota Vikings.
Kenyon mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs as a landing spot for Hall, given head coach Andy Reid’s successful history of developing quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Donovan McNabb. He also floated the Las Vegas Raiders as a possibility, where Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell will battle for the starting job over the next four weeks.
Those aren’t the only places in the NFL that a developmental quarterback might make sense. If the Green Bay Packers don’t like the progress they seen from Sean Clifford over the remainder of the offseason, Hall could be a viable backup option there under head coach and elite offensive mind Matt LaFleur.
Meanwhile, the currently suspended Jimmy Garoppolo (32) is slated as the backup behind Matthew Stafford (36) of the Los Angeles Rams. Concerns over the injury history and age of both QBs will likely have guru Sean McVay seeking younger, developmental options for the future and Hall could fit there as well, assuming McVay sees potential in him.
Vikings May Not Have Place for Hall Long-Term
GettyQuarterback Jaren Hall of the Minnesota Vikings.
In fact, Hall could end up of interest to any number of teams given his age (26) and versatile skill set, which makes him arguably the superior trade candidate over Mullens because Hall’s potential upside could return a better asset in a deal.
Should the Vikings decide to move on from Darnold after one season and go another direction at backup after Mullens’ contract ends following the 2024 campaign, that would clear a reasonable path toward a future for Hall in Minnesota. But he may want more for himself than a role as a career backup, and absent the Vikings’ decisions playing out in the aforementioned way, it’s hard to see how Hall fits in long-term behind McCarthy.
Hall has some starting experience already, with three appearances, two starts and a 1-1 record with the Vikings during his rookie campaign. He completed 13-of-20 passes for 168 yards and an INT last season.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group's family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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