This potential Vikings backup QB solution may have been taken off the table

Football is a game of injuries. Everyone knows that. What people don't know is who is going to get injured in any given game. It is the harsh reality of the collision sport we simply cannot get enough of. However, there is nothing worse than for a player of note to get hurt in practice, or even worse, the preseason. That may have been the case for the lousy New England Patriots over the weekend.

Presumptive starter in veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett hurt his shoulder on a sack in the Patriots' preseason finale vs. the Washington Commanders. This injury probably means No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye will be tasked with starting for the team in Week 1. He may be ready for the opportunity, but this Patriots team might be the worst in football. This injury also makes Bailey Zappe un-tradable.

In the wake of J.J. McCarthy's season-ending injury for the Minnesota Vikings, it will be the Sam Darnold show far longer than it should be. After that, he will have another veteran journeyman in Nick Mullens backing him up, with second-year pro Jaren Hall somehow hanging onto a roster spot as a clear and obvious third-stringer. The Vikings may have been a good spot for Zappe, but not any more.

While the Patriots are competing for next year already, the Vikings have yet to turn the page on 2024.

Minnesota Vikings have missed out on a potential backup quarterback fit

Even though the Patriots definitely, maybe will not be any good, they do have quite an array of intriguing quarterbacks. No, I am not talking about Joe Milton III because he is only a quarterback on the silver screen, or over in Rocky Top. Brissett is solid as a stop-gap, Maye seems to be the real deal as a potential starter in this league and Zappe still offers some levels of cachet as a viable backup.

Again, I like Mullens as a backup, more so than Darnold as the starter. However, I would take the Patriots' quarterback room every day and twice on Sunday over what Minnesota is working with right now. The shame in it all is Kevin O'Connell seems to be a great teacher of the position. I feel the same way about Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, best known for working with Aaron Rodgers.

Ultimately, for as much as I want to trust the Vikings' front office to do the right thing, you know how I feel about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He has yet to prove to me he can be an effective general manager in this league. He has taken the fantastic roster Rick Spielman constructed previously, and has given us whatever this is. Neither of these teams will be good, but I like the Patriots' direction slightly better.

The idea of Zappe coming to Minnesota would have intrigued me, but I am no longer counting on that.