The NFL has announced the 2023 schedule, allowing Minnesota Vikings fans an early glimpse at their opponents.
The Vikings will play six playoff teams from 2022, including the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and NFC Champions Philadelphia Eagles.
Those two games also offer Vikings fans a glimpse at two of the league’s best quarterbacks. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is considered by many to be the best quarterback in the league, while Jalen Hurts is fresh off of a large payday.
The Vikings will also get an up-close view of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who is continuing his ascension up quarterback rankings.
While some teams on the Vikings’ schedule will go through training camp with a quarterback competition, ranking the 14 quarterbacks the Vikings will play is an interesting way to gauge each opponent’s perceived talent.
1. Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs vs Vikings | Week 5 | Oct. 8 | 3:25 p.m.
Is there really any other answer?
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Mahomes is somehow getting better every season. Last season, Mahomes was the Associated Press’ MVP, finishing with a career-high 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns.
There isn’t a throw Mahomes can’t make, which presents unique challenges for opposing defenses. Defenses have tried to send pressure, drop back, and keep extra defensive backs on the field, and Mahomes has dissected it with surgical precision.
2. Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow
Vikings at Bengals | Week 15 | TBD | TBD
Whether you’re calling him Joe Brrr, Joe Shiesty, or Joe Burrow, it’s hard to deny his talent.
In just 42 career games, Burrow has already thrown for over 11,000 passing yards and 82 touchdowns. In 2021, he led the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where they fell to the Los Angeles Rams.
There might come a time when Burrow is the league’s best quarterback, but that time isn’t now. Still, the former LSU Tiger might be the second-best quarterback in the NFL, presenting a difficult challenge for the Vikings.
3. Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts
Vikings at Eagles | Week 2 | Sept. 14 | 7:15 p.m.
In case you haven’t heard, Jalen Hurts is $255 million richer.
A former second-round selection, Hurts became one of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks after the Philadelphia Eagles rewarded him for a strong season that led to an NFC Championship.
Hurts only threw for 3,700 yards last season, but his duel-threat ability is challenging for the entire defense. If a defense isn’t keeping their eyes on Hurts, he can be an additional running back for the offense and hurt them in ways other quarterbacks cant.
4. Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert
Chargers vs Vikings | Week 3 | Sept. 24 | 12:00 p.m.
Last season’s playoffs were a forgettable experience for Chargers fans after Herbert and the Chargers blew a 27-point lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite the disappointing ending, Herbert was still one of the league’s best quarterbacks, throwing for 4,739 and 25 touchdowns while battling an injury for most of the season.
Herbert’s right arm throws rockets down the field, threatening defenses vertically daily. His arm talent stresses the secondary to be responsible in their assignments.
5. New Orleans Saints' Derek Carr
Saints vs. Vikings | Week 10 | Nov. 12 | 12:00 p.m.
After a nine-year stint with the Los Vegas Raiders, Derek Carr swapped Sin City for the Bayou, joining the New Orleans Saints for the foreseeable future.
Predicting Carr’s future with the Saints will be challenging, but it’s not hard to see how his talent can help any NFL offense. Carr has thrown for over 4,000 yards in four seasons, including a career-high 4,804 in 2021.
Carr will join a Saints offense that features a dynamic running back (Alvin Kamara) and Michael Thomas, who seems to be healthy.
6. Denver Broncos' Russell Wilson
Vikings at Broncos | Week 11 | Nov. 19 | 7:20 p.m.
Oh, how they mighty have fallen…
Russell Wilson was one of the league’s best quarterbacks a few seasons ago, but injuries and a trade to the Denver Broncos have seemingly zapped all talent from Wilson.
Last season, Wilson threw for 3,524 yards and a 16-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The poor season from Wilson resulted in a 4-11 record as the team’s starter and the quick firing of head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
The good news for Wilson? His new head coach is Sean Payton. Payton found success with an aging Drew Brees and should help find a secret sauce to help Wilson.
7. Las Vegas Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo
Vikings at Raiders | Week 14 | Dec. 10 | 3:05 p.m.
Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t supposed to be the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback, but an injury to Trey Lance forced Garoppolo into action. However, Garoppolo played in just 11 games before an injury ended his season.
Garoppolo signed a multi-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in the off-season, replacing Derek Carr as the team’s starting quarterback. The deal should help provide the Raiders with a reliable bridge option as they search for their potential franchise quarterback.
Garoppolo isn’t going to set the league on fire, but he is one of the league’s more reliable options. At its core, what you see is what you get from Garoppolo, which is a solid game manager who keeps the offense on schedule.
8. Detroit Lions' Jared Goff
Lions vs. Vikings | Week 16 | Dec. 24 | 12:00 p.m.
Vikings at Lions | Week 18 | TBD | TBD
Jared Goff has had a weird career to this point.
After a strong start with the Los Angeles Rams, Goff began to struggle, leading to an eventual trade with the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff struggled in his first season with the Lions but found an extra boost last season, finishing the season with 4,438 and 29 touchdowns.
Goff isn’t going to carry a team to the Super Bowl, but he’s an adequate starter who provides the Lions with a solid bridge option at quarterback. On any given Sunday, he can beat any team in the NFL if things go his way.
9. Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young
Vikings at Panthers | Week 4 | Oct. 1 | 12:00 p.m.
The Carolina Panthers haven’t named Bryce Young the starter, but he’ll likely be the team’s starter for the regular season.
Ultimately, the Panthers mortgaged a part of their future for Young, trading up to the 1st overall pick to select the Alabama signal-caller. As a result, the Panthers will likely let him work through any struggles as he begins to develop.
While Young has yet to play a game in the NFL, there’s plenty to like about his talent. He’s incredibly cerebral with great accuracy and understands how to work around his major deficiency with his height.
10. Chicago Bears' Justin Fields
Vikings at Bears | Week 6 | Oct. 15 | 12:00 p.m.
Bears vs Vikings | Week 12 | Nov. 27 | 7:15 p.m.
Justin Fields is one of the best runners at the quarterback position, but his ability to throw the ball is still inconsistent.
At times, Fields has shown flashes of having an NFL-caliber arm, but other times, he struggles to be a threat with it. As a result, Fields has relied on his legs for most of his short career.
This off-season, the Chicago Bears made a huge step in the right direction for Fields’ development by picking up D.J. Moore in a trade. While the Moore acquisition should help develop Fields, the uncertainty around his future places him lower on this list.
11. San Francisco 49ers' Trey Lance
49ers vs. Vikings | Week 7 | Oct. 23 | 7:15 p.m.
Trey Lance might not be the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback, but there’s uncertainty around Brock Purdy’s health, which could allow Lance to cement his role.
Lance hasn’t played much in the NFL, starting just four games over two seasons, but there have been flashes of successful reps. However, the uncertainty around his place as the team’s starter pushes him down this list.
If he’s healthy and starting, though, the Vikings will need to keep an eye on him at all times, as he’s capable of beating teams with his athleticism.
12. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love
Vikings at Packers | Week 8 | Oct. 29 | 12:00 p.m.
Packers vs. Vikings | Week 17 | Dec. 31 | 7:20 p.m.
The trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets means that the Green Bay Packers have given the keys to Jordan Love.
With just one start in his career, the Packers are betting on the ceiling of Love, which could be a long-term starter in the NFL. However, it seems unfair to place him any higher on this list right now.
In due time, Love could be an impactful NFL quarterback, but he’ll have to earn his spot on a power rankings list like this.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield
Buccaneers vs. Vikings | Week 1 | Sept. 10 | 12:00 p.m.
Baker Mayfield isn’t quite Tom Brady.
After a brief honeymoon with one of the best quarterbacks of all time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers see the end of the Tom Brady era and the beginning of the Baker Mayfield era.
It isn’t as glamorous, but Mayfield can still be a reliable quarterback, especially with the Buccaneer’s wide receiver room. However, this ranking isn’t based on the offense and is strictly looking at the quarterback. As a result, Mayfield sees himself near the bottom of this list.
14. Atlanta Falcons' Desmond Ridder
Vikings at Falcons | Week 9 | Nov. 5 | 12:00 p.m.
This is a little harsh on Desmond Ridder.
Ultimately, I was high on Ridder coming out of Cincinnati and thought he was the best quarterback in last year’s draft. However, the early returns on his NFL career have been disappointing, throwing just two touchdowns in four starts.
In some ways, Ridder is an incomplete evaluation and ranking. By the time the season starts, Ridder could be even higher on this list, but there hasn’t been enough to prove that either way. As a result, he finds himself at the bottom.
