There's an old football adage that says, “If you think you have two starting quarterbacks, you actually have none."
Well, what if a team has three starting quarterbacks? That’s a situation the NFC North-leading Vikings could soon face. Interestingly enough, all three players have proven to be quality NFL starters.
Teddy Bridgewater's potential return, plus Sam Bradford's injury and Case Keenum's solid play, means a quarterback quandary is unfolding for Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer.
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After a solid 2016 season, Bradford opened 2017 with the best game of his career in a win over the Saints. But he once again injured his left knee in the process, and in stepped Case Keenum. The backup has played better than expected, winning three of his five starts, not including his relief of a not fully healed Bradford during a win over the Bears.
Bridgewater, who started as a rookie and in Year 2 led the Vikings to a division title with a Pro Bowl season, returned to practice last week for the first time since he suffered a devastating knee injury late in the 2016 preseason.
Spielman and Zimmer will have to make a call on Bridgewater in two weeks, when the QB’s three-week window to practice under the physically unable to perform (PUP) list ends and rules dictate he must either be activated or placed on season-ending reserve PUP. If Bridgewater stays on PUP, his contract could be tolled (although that may be challenged via grievance), which is an important factor since the Vikings did not exercise his fifth-year option. Bridgewater could become a free agent after this season if activated, or if he were to win a grievance on the tolling issue.
If I were in the shoes of Spielman and Zimmer, I would love not to have to activate Bridgewater and hope the team indeed could toll his contract for one additional year. In that case, I would know I have at least one of my quarterbacks under contract for 2018. It’s hard not to reward Bridgewater for his commitment to rehab, but the Vikings holding off on activating him, and therefore giving him one more year to strengthen his surgically repaired knee, is the wiser call.
That is, if Minnesota is confident Bradford will return this season.
The Vikings should handle the winless Browns in London on Sunday behind Keenum, a revived running game and their suffocating defense. Then there's the bye week to give Bradford more time to heal prior to the game at Washington, which is followed by a tough stretch (LA Rams, at Detroit, at Atlanta and at Carolina).
If Bradford can overcome his knee problem and return to the lineup in top form, he gives the Vikings the best chance to reach their first Super Bowl in 41 years. Then they can have Keenum ready to step back in if needed. The Vikings probably would like to get their $18 million worth out of Bradford. He and Keenum are potential free agents next March, which further complicates things.
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When I was Vikings GM in 1998, we faced a similar situation. Brad Johnson was our starting quarterback, but he sprained his ankle in Week 2, and Randall Cunningham took over. Cunningham played so well he became NFL MVP that season and led our team to a 15-1 regular-season record. Johnson never got his starting job back and was traded in the offseason.
The difference here is Keenum does not have the track record Cunningham had from his years as a top starter in Philadelphia. So even if he is playing well, Keenum is not the better option over a healthy Bradford. That’s especially the case if the Vikings find themselves in an NFC playoff matchup against the likes of the Eagles or Seahawks and their stout defenses, not to mention if the Vikings are fortunate enough to become the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium — against a team like the Patriots, Steelers or Chiefs.
All three quarterbacks returning to Minnesota next season is extremely unlikely, as Keenum surely will seek a starting role or a much higher-paying backup job elsewhere. The Vikings could put the franchise tag on Bradford, or they could decide to part ways with no dead money incurred, in which case they could turn the franchise over to Bridgewater again and try to bring back Keenum as the No. 2.
If Minnesota is confident Bridgewater will make a successful comeback, another possible scenario is more risky considering he will have missed two seasons: Let Bradford walk, lose Keenum in free agency and go with Bridgewater and practice squad QB Kyle Sloter. The Vikings then could draft a QB or add a cheap, veteran free agent to the mix as they did when they signed Keenum.
Letting go of Bradford would free up cap money Minnesota could keep its dominant defense intact, as players like Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter are poised to join the high-salary stratosphere where Everson Griffen and Harrison Smith already reside. The Vikings also will need the funds to extend star wide receiver Stefon Diggs if they believe he can overcome his early-career injury bug.
The Vikings likely feel they can emulate the Seahawks’ strategy of having a dominant, high-salaried defense made possible by a lower-paid starting quarterback, as was the case with Russell Wilson before he hit his big payday. In a perfect world, that's what Spielman and Zimmer would love to get out of Bridgewater. But the NFL is rarely a perfect world.
All these possibilities at quarterback, which will impact the defense and the rest of the roster, make the Vikings a fascinating team to watch the rest of this season and into 2018.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
