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A fill-in quarterback for the Vikings? Go with Mike Glennon

Just as the Vikings quickly moved on from John Sullivan when his salary outpaced his expected production, the Vikings' fan base has to quickly move on from the Bridgewater injury.

August 31, 2016 at 5:47PM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8) (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Just as the Vikings quickly moved on from John Sullivan when his salary outpaced his expected production, the Vikings' fan base has to quickly move on from feeling optimistic about Teddy Bridgewater to finding reason for optimism in another quarterback.

Here's my view of the possible replacements:

Shaun Hill: No. Wasn't considered a strong backup. Certainly shouldn't be considered a strong starter.

"Bretton ManFavre:" No, neither Peyton Manning nor Brett Favre are coming out of retirement. If Manning wanted to play another year, he would be with the Broncos.

Michael Vick: Not at his age, with his skill set, in this offense. Doesn't fit.

Colin Kaepernick: The most talented quarterback who may be available, he is not playing well at the moment and the Vikings were highly irritated to have to talk about child abuse (Adrian Peterson) or gay rights (Chris Kluwe.) They aren't going to deal with Kaepernick. (That's my guess, at least.)

T.J. Yates: Not a terrible option. Not a great player but better than Hill.

Geno Smith: He has a major flaw. It's that he is not good.

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Josh McCown: Maybe the second-best available choice. Can stand in the pocket and throw downfield. But unlikely to replicate his success with the Bears, who had big receivers who could make plays for him.

Mark Sanchez: Has taken defensive-minded teams to the playoffs before, but hard to get excited about.

And my top choice:

Mike Glennon: Young enough that he could still be something in this league. Strong arm. Able to push the ball downfield. NFL game experience. Pocket passer.

There are no ideal substitutes, but Glennon and perhaps McCown could run the offense and threaten defenses that want to load the line of scrimmage. And they're both better than Shaun Hill.

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You can find more on the Vikings situation with Viking Update publisher Tim Yotter on our Viking Update Podcast. That and all of our other shows, with Roy Smalley, Jon Krawczynski, Michael Russo and myself, at MNSPN.com, or you can subscribe at Itunes or follow us on Twitter for links.

@Souhanstrib

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about the writer

about the writer

Jim Souhan

Columnist

Jim Souhan is a sports columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He has worked at the paper since 1990, previously covering the Twins and Vikings.

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