When Brett Favre was expected to join the Vikings for the start of training camp, the thinking was that the team might try to keep both Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson, given that Rosenfels’ ability to learn the Minnesota version of the West Coast offense would have been impeded by Favre getting most of the first-team reps and Rosenfels and Jackson splitting the rest.
So Jackson possibly would have been the primary backup, with Rosenfels being the guy in 2010, and possibly beyond.
Now, with Rosenfels having the benefit of more than two weeks of camp practices (including several days when Jackson was injured), Jackson is more vulnerable.
Per a league source, Jackson was in the dark on this one, and no decision has been made as to whether he’ll request a trade or a release. The problem is that it will be hard for Jackson to establish a position on the depth chart with a new team, given that training camp is over in many cities and winding down in the rest of them.
The Eagles might have been a potential destination, if they hadn’t signed Mike Vick.
Coincidentally, Vick and Jackson are represented by the same agent, Joel Segal.
So that leads us back to another team that was reportedly interested in Vick.
The Packers.
We floated Green Bay as a possible destination for Jackson on July 14, and we think that the Packers definitely could be in play. They have two second-year players backing up Aaron Rodgers, and Jackson has started more games than Rodgers.
And that might prompt the Vikings to keep Jackson and his $535,000 around, especially since he will be able to carry with him intimate details of the team’s plans for 2009.
At only $150,000 more than John David Booty, it makes plenty of sense for the Vikings to squat on Jackson for a year, and then to try to slide Booty through waivers and onto the practice squad.