With Brett Favre potentially heading to injured reserve and Tarvaris Jackson also injured and Joe Webb the only other quarterback on the roster (for now), the Vikings need help at the position. On Tuesday, coach Leslie Frazier suggested that the next quarterback signed could end up starting the Monday night game against the Bears.
With names like Patrick Ramsey (really?) being considered, what about Daunte Culpepper? Now that coach Brad Childress, who alienated Culpepper in early 2006 before trading him, is gone, maybe Culpepper could come back and help the Vikings out of a jam. Or at least keep them within 30 points of the Bears.
As it turns out, the Vikings have called Culpepper. But not with a request that he play. Culpepper will be returning to Minnesota because he has been selected as one of the 50 greatest Vikings players.
“I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to a voicemail message from the Vikings inviting me in for a visit to Minnesota,” Culpepper told us via e-mail. “I have to admit, I have been waiting for this call from the Vikings! I am honored to be selected as one of the 50 greatest Viking players. I am looking forward to going back to Minnesota for the celebration this coming weekend and the game next Monday Night (wherever it is played).”
The full list of the 50 greatest Vikings will be unveiled on Sunday, December 19. Fans were invited to cast votes on a list of 100 candidates.
Though it’s unclear whether the Vikings would have been interested in signing Culpepper to play, Culpepper has said that he’s not interested in being thrown into an NFL opportunity without preparation. However, Culpepper is keeping his options open for 2011, in the event that a team is interested in giving him a chance to compete for an NFL job.
Still, on Monday night at TCF Bank Stadium, there’s a chance that one of the guys on the sidelines will be better suited to play quarterback for the “home” team than anyone wearing purple jerseys and shoulder pads. Then again, there may be three or four guys on the sidelines who fit that description, given the current injury issues the Vikings face.