Greatest Quarterbacks to Wear the Purple

With all the concern over the quarterback position this year, I thought a good top 10 list would be the greatest quarterbacks in Vikings history. The Vikings have been around since 1961, and in that time they've seen some great and some not so great quarterbacks come through the doors. Some have gotten their start and played only with the Vikings - like Daunte until this year, some have been come here to finish their careers like Archie Manning and Jim McMahon. Here's my list of the all time greatest quarterbacks to play for the Vikings. Note they didn't have to do anything great for the Vikings - again like Archie Manning - they just have needed to put on the purple and been great.

First - honorable mention goes to Gino Torretta - he's been the butt of a lot of jokes around the twin cities in recent years and especially lately with all the quarterback concerns. Well - he was great in college.

Second - another honorable mention has to go to Jeff George - he was signed yesterday by the Raiders after not taking a snap for five years! That's pretty amazing and it'll be fun to see what happens this year. He is only 38 (the same age as Brad Johnson) and he knows the game. I heard he was teaching the run and shoot to his sons middle school team when Oakland called him - literally.

Okay one more thing - Wade Wilson and Sean Salisbury did not make the list. They did have some longevity, but they didn't play great. They had great nicknames, Whiskey and The Steak, but that doesn't get you into my top 10.

With no further ado....
10. Rich Gannon - tough competitor
9. Brad Johnson - smart competitor
8. Daunte Cullpepper - talented
7. Randall Cunningham - talented turned smart
6. Warren Moon - great passer
5. Archie Manning - legend
4. Jim McMahon - WINNER!!!!
3. Joe Kapp - 40 for 60
2. Tommy Kramer - Touchdown Tommy!
1. Fran Tarkenton - obvious choice