The Minnesota Vikings have shown interest in long-time veteran QB options to play behind J.J. McCarthy, but the team may ultimately trend younger based on the available candidates.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report on Friday, March 21, pitched an inexpensive trade idea in which the Vikings send the Tennessee Titans a fifth-round pick in return for former second-round QB Will Levis and a sixth-rounder.
“According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Titans ‘would like to transition’ from Will Levis,” Moton wrote. “If McCarthy has a setback in his recovery from two meniscus tears or a rough offseason, Levis can provide veteran insurance until the Vikings get their quarterback of the future ready to lead the huddle.”
Will Levis Could Remake NFL Career as Vikings Backup QB
GettyQB Will Levis of the Tennessee Titans.
Levis has had moments over his two-year NFL career, but he’s generally had problems protecting the football and has led the Titans to a record of just 5-16 across 21 regular-season starts. He has amassed 3,899 passing yards, 21 TDs and 16 INTs over that span, as well as 240 rushing yards and one score on the ground.
The Titans selected Levis with the 33rd overall pick in 2023, and he has two affordable years remaining on his $9.5 million rookie contract. McCarthy is entering the second season of his four-year, $22 million deal, and pairing the two would give the Vikings among the most affordable QB rooms in the sport.
That type of financial value under center is what allowed Minnesota to revamp its offensive and defensive lines in the offseason, as well as re-sign Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to keep some talent and continuity as part of a secondary that will experience significant turnover from 2024 to 2025.
Should the Vikings need to call on him for a significant stretch of time during the regular season for whatever reason, questions about Levis’s ability to thrive in a starting role are plenty legitimate based on his time in Tennessee.
That said, the team has a star-studded cast of skill players, and head coach Kevin O’Connell has made the likes of Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Sam Darnold shine in his offense. Thus, it’s reasonable to assume that Levis, just 25 years old, could make considerable strides given prolonged exposure to the football culture in Minnesota.
Vikings Contacted Ryan Tannehill About Backup QB Position
GettyFormer Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill.
If the Vikings ultimately decide they don’t want Levis or can’t make a trade for him work, the team has also been in discussions with another former Titans quarterback — Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill sat out all of last season waiting for an opportunity to step into a starting job that never came. A full year away from the game is certainly cause for pause on Minnesota’s behalf, but Tannehill has a long history of relative success that backs up a play for him as the team’s QB2.
He is a one-time Pro Bowler who has started 151 regular-season games and boasts a career record of 81-70. Tannehill went to the playoffs three times with the Titans (2-3) and appeared in the AFC Championship Game following the 2019 campaign.
Tannehill has produced 34,881 passing yards, 216 TDs and 115 INTs across 11 seasons as a starter in Tennessee, and before that with the Miami Dolphins.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Vikings Trade Pitch Flips Draft Pick for $10 Million QB to Compete With McCarthy appeared first on Heavy Sports.