Former NFL general manager believes Minnesota Vikings should acquire Russell Wilson

Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings had their season turned upside down when first-round quarterback J.J McCarthy was ruled out with a torn meniscus. With the injury, the Vikings will rely on Sam Darnold as their primary starter for the regular season. While the coaching staff and front office seem confident in the former third-overall pick, some analysts believe the Minnesota Vikings should be entertaining the quarterback trade market to find a more proven starter this season. 

ESPN analyst and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s Get Up that the Steelers should trade the veteran quarterback to the Vikings. 

“A win-win trade here is to trade Russell Wilson to Minnesota. I think he’s a better quarterback than Sam Darnold. They certainly can battle it out.” 

.@realtannenbaum thinks the Steelers should trade Russell Wilson to the Vikings and sign Ryan Tannehill 😯

“A win-win here is to trade Russell Wilson to Minnesota. I think he’s a better quarterback than Sam Darnold. They certainly can battle it out.” pic.twitter.com/wfpAkerqlt

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 21, 2024Since the McCarthy injury, the Vikings have only brought in Matt Corral, but that does not seem like a move for anything more than a pre-season practice body. Outside of Darnold, the Vikings have veteran Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall on the roster. 

Acquiring a player like Russell Wilson would be complicated for several reasons. The first one is that the Vikings do not have much draft capital for this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. They have a first and two-fifths after making multiple trades in the first round to secure McCarthy and pass rusher Dallas Turner in this past year’s draft. With the lack of significant draft picks, the Vikings would have to deplete future assets or send a roster player in return. 

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is no stranger to taking chances in the trade market. Still, given the roster situation and expectations for the team this season, a trade for an aging veteran quarterback does not make much sense. Perhaps a trade for a younger player like Trey Lance or Kenny Pickett would be a more logical fit, but still unlikely. 

Barring another injury, the Vikings will likely stand pat at the quarterback position for now and let Darnold lead the team for the entire season. 

Author(s)

Josh is a credentialed sports journalist who covers the Minnesota Vikings and College Football. Josh has been writing about the NFL and College Football for the last five years and has been credentialed at multiple Reese’s Senior Bowls.