Concerned about how quickly Tarvaris Jackson can rebound from his most recent injury and with Kelly Holcomb still nursing a sore neck, the Vikings made plans Monday to take a look at a few free-agent quarterbacks.
One is St. Paul native Chris Weinke, who according to people with knowledge of the situation, will be at Winter Park today for a workout. The Vikings also are believed to have inquired about veteran Doug Johnson, who recently worked out for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jackson, who suffered a concussion late in the first half of the Vikings' 35-17 victory over San Diego, hasn't been ruled out as the starter for Sunday's game at Green Bay, but coach Brad Childress admitted Monday it is a "day-to-day" situation. Brooks Bollinger will start if Jackson can't go, but the Vikings could use a healthy backup.
Childress and Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman spent Monday looking at a thin list of available quarterbacks. "I'm not going to speak to the people that were on the list, but there is a bunch of guys," Childress said. "Some fit, some don't."
Weinke, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State, was contacted by the Vikings last March after being released by Carolina. The 35-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Carolina in 2001 but played in only 27 games in six seasons. He started 15 games as a rookie for a Panthers team that went 1-15. He also played in three games late in the 2006 season but threw two touchdown passes and four interceptions.
Holcomb was injured two weeks ago against Philadelphia and will do some throwing today with a helmet on to test his neck.
Childress, meanwhile, said Jackson passed "four out of five areas" of a concussion test he was given. "We'll check him again tomorrow but he is going to be day-to-day -- just because of our sensitivity to head and neck injuries," Childress said, adding he does not know what day Jackson will be able to practice. "He's going to do some things in terms of more testing. He has got to pass an exercise test on Wednesday."
The rest of the story
Childress said that after San Diego's Antonio Cromartie returned Ryan Longwell's missed field-goal attempt 109 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 Chargers lead late in the first half Sunday, the Vikings didn't spend much time in their locker room because "it doesn't do any good to rant and rave."
But safety Darren Sharper said Monday that the head coach gave "a great fiery speech." Sharper said Childress had shown fire before but this was his best performance.
"The passion in which we did it was impressive," Sharper said. "A lot of teams, being the way that things have went for us, after that play at the end of the half, you kind of want to see how you come out in the second half. For us to play the way we did in the second half, it was real good to see."
Etc.
• Joe Horrigan, the vice president of communications and exhibits at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said he contacted the Vikings in a first step to get a piece of memorabilia from Adrian Peterson's NFL record-setting 296-yard rushing performance Sunday. Horrigan said when Jamal Lewis rushed for a then-NFL record 295 yards in 2003, he gave the Hall a jersey he wore during the game so it could be displayed.
• Receiver Troy Williamson is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday after missing a week to be with his family because of the death of his grandmother. The Vikings players had Monday and today off.
Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com
vikings/nfl
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