Very Quietly, The Vikings Worked Out Yet Another Quarterback
Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Rypien (11) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
So, fair is fair.
Go ahead and bring Desmond Ridder to town. If a few state secrets get shared — some of the tendencies within the Bengals offense — then so be it. Cincinnati will need to adjust their language to keep their intentions disguised while Minnesota does likewise.
What’s fascinating is simply that Dorian Thompson-Robinson was also considered.
Undersized at 6’2″ and 203 pounds, Thompson-Robinson was picked in the 5th of the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 140 overall). At No. 141, the Vikings opted for DT Jaquelin Roy (no longer a Viking); later on in the 5th, the Vikings picked QB Jaren Hall (No. 164 and also no longer a Viking). The 25-year-old Thompson-Robinson spent 2023 and 2024 with the Browns, getting into game action on fifteen occasions while starting five games in his career.
Sep 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) hands the ball off to running back Bijan Robinson (7) during pre-game warmups before their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
The numbers aren’t anything to write home about. The completion percentage is an eyesore, coming in at just 52.6%. He has 880 yards in his career alongside 1 touchdown pass and 10 interceptions.
More promising, perhaps, is that he picked up some yardage on the ground. Thompson-Robinson turned 21 carries into 122 yards and 9 first downs in 2024. Were that a running back’s stats, people would walk away impressed. A 5.8 yards-per-carry average is healthy.
In the end, however, the decision was to add Desmond Ridder. The new quarterback offers better size at 6’4″ and 215 pounds, which is to say nothing of being a higher selection at No. 74 overall (3rd Round), albeit from within the 2022 NFL Draft.
Ridder has since gone 8-10 in his starts while completing 63.6% of his passes for 4,002 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Just based on the basic details alone, the Vikings appear to have walked away with the better passer even if there was some desire to do some due diligence.
