Today, Josh Dobbs will start his first game for the Minnesota Vikings. He’ll be the third Vikings quarterback to start a game over the past three weeks. That’s a remarkable quarterback churn by any measure. My first days with the Vikings saw Fran Tarkenton start every game. For much of the 1970s, there was no quarterback question. It was Tarkenton. It feels like the Vikings have been searching for their next franchise quarterback every year since Tarkenton retired after the 1978 season.

Since their first season in 1961, the Vikings have selected four quarterbacks in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Tommy Kramer (1977)
Daunte Culpepper (1999)
Christian Ponder (2011)
Teddy Bridgewater (2014)

Tommy Kramer was always fun and often great when he was on the field. He wasn’t on the field enough. Daunte Culpepper was on an upward trajectory until a knee injury ended his time in Minnesota. Christian Ponder was drafted to be a quarterback that he never had the talent to be. As with Culpepper, a horrible knee injury ended whatever future Teddy Bridgewater might’ve had with the Vikings. Each of the four quarterbacks was drafted to be the next great Vikings quarterback. Two showed great potential, one had potential, and the fourth was Ponder. The Vikings are still searching for their next great quarterback.

Considering that Tarkenton is the Vikings all-time franchise quarterback, it’s shocking that the team once traded him away. At least the same decision-makers had the bright idea to bring him back five years later.

The Vikings have a history of quarterback inconsistency. Through 62 years and 9 games, Fran Tarkenton and Kirk Cousins are the only Vikings quarterbacks to consistently start games. It was and is shocking to see either miss a game. During his 18-year career, Tarkenton suffered his only significant injury in his 17th season. Cousins suffered the first significant injury of his career two weeks ago, his 12th season.

The past three weeks of Vikings quarterback inconsistency had me thinking about all of the starting quarterbacks in Vikings franchise history. As a rookie, Fran Tarkenton was supposed to make the first start in that history. Just before kickoff, head coach Norm Van Brocklin informed his rookie that veteran George Shaw would start the first game against the Chicago Bears. Before the first quarter was over, Tarkenton entered the game, took apart the Bears, and created a legend. His first start wasn’t as great as his fist appearance. Here’s hoping that Dobbs’ first start is the opposite.

Seeing a new quarterback start each game the past three weeks got me thinking about all of the quarterbacks to make starts for the Vikings. I had to find them all. The following are those quarterbacks and their number of starts for each season.

1961:
George Shaw (4)
Fran Tarkenton (10)

1962
Fran Tarkenton (14)

1963:
Fran Tarkenton (13)
Ron Vander Kelen (1)

1964:
Fran Tarkenton ((14)

1965:
Fran Tarkenton (14)

1966:
Fran Tarkenton (12)
Ron Vander Kelen (1)
Bob Berry (1)

1967:
Joe Kapp (11)
Ron Vander Kelen (3)

1968:
Joe Kapp (14)

1969:
Joe Kapp (13)
Gary Couzzo (1)

1970:
Gary Couzzo (12)
Bob Lee (2)

1971:
Gary Couzzo (8)
Bob Lee (4)
Norm Snead (2)

1972:
Fran Tarkenton (14)

1973:
Fran Tarkenton (14)

1974:
Fran Tarkenton (13)
Bob Berry (1)

1975:
Fran Tarkenton (14)

1976:
Fran Tarkenton (13)
Bob Lee (1)

1977:
Fran Tarkenton (9)
Bob Lee (4)
Tommy Kramer (1)

1978:
Fran Tarkenton (16)

1979:
Tommy Kramer (16)

1980:
Tommy Kramer (15)
Steve Dils (1)

1981:
Tommy Kramer (14)
Steve Dils (2)

1982:
Tommy Kramer (9)

1983:
Steve Dils (12)
Tommy Kramer (3)
Wade Wilson (1)

1984:
Tommy Kramer (9)
Wade Wilson (5)
Archie Manning (2)

1985:
Tommy Kramer (15)
Wade Wilson (1)

1986:
Tommy Kramer (13)
Wade Wilson (3)

1987:
Wade Wilson (7)
Tony Adams (3) - replacement games
Tommy Kramer (5)

1988:
Wade Wilson (10)
Tommy Kramer (6)

1989:
Wade Wilson (12)
Tommy Kramer (4)

1990:
Rich Gannon (12)
Wade Wilson (4)

1991:
Rich Gannon (11)
Wade Wilson (5)

1992:
Rich Gannon (12)
Sean Salisbury (4)

1993:
Jim McMahon (12)
Sean Salisbury (4)

1994:
Warren Moon (15)
Sean Salisbury (1)

1995:
Warren Moon (16)

1996:
Warren Moon (8)
Brad Johnson (8)

1997:
Brad Johnson (13)
Randall Cunningham (3)

1998:
Randall Cunningham (14)
Brad Johnson (2)

1999:
Jeff George (10)
Randall Cunningham (6)

2000:
Daunte Culpepper (16)

2001:
Daunte Culpepper (11)
Spergon Wynn (2)
Todd Bouman (3)

2002:
Daunte Culpepper (16)

2003:
Daunte Culpepper (14)
Gus Frerotte (2)

2004:
Daunte Culpepper (16)

2005:
Daunte Culpepper (7)
Brad Johnson (9)

2006:
Brad Johnson (14)
Tarvaris Jackson (2)

2007:
Tarvaris Jackson (12)
Kelly Holcomb (3)
Brooks Bollinger (1)

2008:
Gus Frerotte (11)
Tarvaris Jackson (5)

2009:
Brett Favre (16)

2010:
Brett Favre (13)
Tarvaris Jackson (1)
Joe Webb (2)

2011:
Donovan McNabb (6)
Christian Ponder (10)

2012:
Christian Ponder (16)

2013:
Christian Ponder (9)
Josh Freeman (1)
Matt Cassel (6)

2014:
Matt Cassel (3)
Teddy Bridgewater (12)
Christian Ponder (1)

2015:
Teddy Bridgewater (16)

2016:
Shaun Hill (1)
Sam Bradford (15)

2017:
Sam Bradford (2)
Case Keenum (14)

2018:
Kirk Cousins (16)

2019:
Kirk Cousins (15)
Sean Mannion (1)

2020:
Kirk Cousins (16)

2021:
Kirk Cousins (16)
Sean Mannion (1)

2022:
Kirk Cousins (17)

2023:
Kirk Cousins (8)
Jaren Hall (1)
Josh Dobbs (1)

62 years and 10 games, the Minnesota Vikings have started 41 quarterbacks.

George Shaw
Fran Tarkenton
Ron Vander Kelen
Bob Berry
Joe Kapp
Gary Couzzo
Bob Lee
Norm Snead
Tommy Kramer
Steve Dils
Wade Wilson
Archie Manning
Tony Adams - replacement games
Rich Gannon
Sean Salisbury
Jim McMahon
Warren Moon
Brad Johnson
Randall Cunningham
Jeff George
Daunte Culpepper
Spergon Wynn
Todd Bouman
Gus Frerotte
Tarvaris Jackson
Kelly Holcomb
Brooks Bollinger
Brett Favre
Joe Webb
Donovan McNabb
Christian Ponder
Josh Freeman
Matt Cassel
Teddy Bridgewater
Shaun Hill
Sam Bradford
Case Keenum
Kirk Cousins
Sean Mannion
Jaren Hall
Josh Dobbs

Here’s to Josh Dobbs’ first start being more like Fran Tarkenton’s than Josh Freeman.