The Minnesota Vikings are now betting more than just a $10 million salary on quarterback Sam Darnold, and making a hedge in the form of another quality backup option is an advisable path forward.
Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall and Matt Corral are currently on the roster after the Vikings designated rookie J.J. McCarthy to IR following knee surgery, where he will remain until next year. And while Mullens has had moments across 20 career starts (5-15), it’s tough to sell meaningful winning in Minnesota with him under center.
The question will become whether the Vikings are willing to surrender to mediocrity, or even less, in a transition year should Darnold suffer injury and/or fail to meet expectations.
If GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell aren’t content with those prospects, there are a handful of viable options to whom the franchise can turn. Among them is Taylor Heinicke of the Atlanta Falcons, who got his professional start in Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
Somewhat ironically, he has since been supplanted in Atlanta by former Vikings starter Kirk Cousins along with No. 8 overall draft pick Michael Penix Jr.
Heinicke is now the Falcons’ third-string quarterback and pricey for the position entering the final season of his two-year, $14 million contract. Beyond that, he has legitimate trade value as a player with a multiyear history of above-average play at the NFL level.
Taylor Heinicke More Accomplished Than Any Vikings Backup QBs
Heinicke, 31, has more starting experience and a better resumé than Mullens, which puts him a long way ahead of both Hall (two career starts) and Corral (zero career snaps) in both categories.
His record as a starter is 13-15-1, though none of those starts ever came as a member of the Vikings. Heinicke spent more than two years between May 2015 and September 2017 jumping around Minnesota’s practice squad and active roster, though never saw the field until landing with the Houston Texans that November.
Heinicke appeared in just one game for Houston before getting a real opportunity with the Carolina Panthers the next year. He has since played stints with the Washington Commanders and Falcons, amassing 6,635 yards, 39 TDs and 28 INTs on 62.5% passing across 38 appearances, per Pro Football Reference.
Vikings, Falcons Trade for Taylor Heinicke Presents Win-Win-Win Scenario
A match between Minnesota and Heinicke via a trade with the Falcons makes sense for all parties involved.
First, it would give the Vikings arguably their strongest Darnold alternative and allow the team to round out its top three at the position with three QBs who all have at least 20 games of starting experience. Second, it would provide Atlanta an off-ramp to unload Heinicke’s $4.5 million salary cap hit and eliminate the possibility of a quarterback controversy between Heinicke and Penix should Cousins end up sidelined for whatever reason.
Finally, Heinicke would get a legitimate chance at a No. 2 job and would most likely see at least some regular-season work in a contract year, whether in relief of an injured and/or poorly performing Darnold, or at least in end-of-game scenarios.
“The value of a backup quarterback seemingly increases each year. Injuries occur, expectations adjust, and players who operate on a ‘one snap away’ basis are looked upon to keep an offense on-track,” Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report wrote on August 14, upon naming Heinicke the first player Atlanta should shop in the coming weeks. “Looking at teams around the league with questions under center, Heinicke has the skill set and experience … to not only compete but also produce.”
