8 Best Minnesota Vikings in Team History

The Vikings have always been one of those teams that have been intriguing when it comes to football betting, but they’ve failed to win the big games, having never won a championship during the Super Bowl era. 

However, it’s too bad we weren’t able to bet online during the Purple People Eaters years, which was during the late 1960s and 1970s, as we saw numerous high-level defensive studs suit up for the Vikings. 

I can only imagine what the NFL spreads for those teams were in those days with Alan Page and Carl Eller, who are among the best players in franchise history.

Speaking of that, below, I’ve created a list of the best Vikings to ever suit up. 

Let’s check it out. 

Best Minnesota Vikings in Team History

1. Fran Tarkenton

Tarkenton is the Vikings all-time leader in attempts (4,569), passing yards (33,098), and passing touchdowns (239). He was the starting quarterback for them from 1961 to 1966, and came back in 1972 and was there through 1978. 

He was the NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, first-time All-Pro, won the Bert Bell Award and led the league in passing yards in 1975. 

That season, he threw for 2,994 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. 

Throughout his career, he made nine Pro Bowls and was second-team All-Pro in 1973. 

Today, Tarkenton is in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

#Vikings stud quarterback Fran Tarkenton scrambles around like a maniac, then launches a tip-drill touchdown bomb to Pres Carpenter for six against the #49ers at The Met

October 30, 1966pic.twitter.com/NzJGfzYArp

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) October 24, 2023

2. Alan Page

Page finished his career with 108.5 sacks and is one of four Vikings players with over 100 sacks. 

In addition to being a member of the NFL Championship squad in 1969, I put Page second primarily because he was the first defensive player to win the NFL MVP award in 1971. Page was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, made five first-team All-Pro squads, an additional three second-team All-Pro nods, made nine Pro Bowls, and his No. 88 was retired by the team. 

Page is also tied for the most safeties in a season with two. 

He’s in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018 and is a retired Minnesota state Supreme Court Judge.

3. Randy Moss

Playing 113 games for the Vikings, Moss ranks second all time in receiving yards (9,316), receptions (587), and touchdowns (92).

During his time with the Vikings from 1998 to 2004, Moss was the Rookie of the Year, made three first-team All-Pro teams, played in five Pro Bowls, and led the league in receiving three times.

He had double-digit touchdowns in every season with the Vikings except 2002, where he had seven. He also had two seasons with 100+ catches. 

He averaged 82.4 yards per game and had about 3,000 fewer receiving yards than Cris Carter while playing 75 fewer games. If he had matched Carter’s games and continued his average of 82.4, he would’ve finished with nearly 15,500 yards, topping Carter. 

Moss is now in the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame. 

4. Adrian Peterson

No player is remotely close in Vikings history to Peterson’s franchise rushing record of 11,747 yards. The next closest is Robert Smith with 6,818. 

Peterson also had 97 rushing touchdowns, which is 45 more than Chuck Foreman. 

He also averaged 95.5 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. 

His best season came in 2012 when he had 2,097 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, and 40 receptions. 

Peterson was named NFL MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year that season. 

In addition to his MVP and OPOY awards, he was the Rookie of the Year, was a four-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time second-team All-Pro, led the league in rushing three times, led the league in rushing touchdowns twice, and won two Bert Bell Awards. 

5. Cris Carter

While I put Moss ahead of Carter, there’s no denying Carter’s greatness over the 188 games he played with the Vikings. Today, he ranks first in Vikings history in receptions (1,004), receiving yards (12,383), and touchdowns (110). 

Fun fact: He’s second all-time in games played for any player to catch a pass. The player ahead of him? Ron Yary, a right tackle who played for Vikings from 1968 to 1981.

Carter started his career with the Eagles before playing with the Vikings from 1990 to 2001. 

He was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 1999, was a two-time first-team All-Pro, a one-time second-team All-Pro, made eight Pro Bowls, was the receptions leader in 1994, led the NFL in receiving touchdowns three times, his No. 80 was retired by the team, and won the Bart Starr Award. 

He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

6. John Randle

Playing 176 games in his Vikings career, Randle recorded 114.0 career sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 418 solo tackles, nine fumble recoveries, and one interception. 

He was a six-time first-team All-Pro, made seven Pro Bowls, led the league in sacks in 1997 with 15.5, and is in the Vikings Ring of Honor. 

Randle had double-digit sacks in all but three years during his career with the Vikings. These included his rookie season, his second season, when he had 9.5, and his final season when he had 8.0. 

Of his 114.0 career sacks, he sacked Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre more than anyone else. 

7. Randall McDaniel

Playing guard for the Vikings from 1988 to 1999, McDaniel was a seven-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, made 12 Pro Bowls (one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), is in the Vikings Ring of Honor, and is in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

8. Carl Eller

On the same defence as Page, Eller was part of the NFL Championship team in 1969 and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1971. He was also a five-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, made six Pro Bowls, was the co-leader in sacks in 1969, and is in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Eller is the Vikings all-time leader in sacks with 130.5 sacks. He played 209 games for them.