Staff
Since they joined the NFL in 1961, Minnesota Vikings have become one of the league’s most storied franchises and a team that always seems to sit favorably with NFL odds.
With the eighth-best winning percentage in the league’s history, 27 playoff appearances, and four Super Bowl appearances, the Vikings certainly aren’t a team to be sniffed at.
With a solid record of continued success, it’s clear to any NFL fan that the Minnesota Vikings must have had their fair share of elite players.
Today, we’re going to look back at the Vikings’ history in the league by taking a closer look at 10 of their greatest-ever players.
There’s way more to greatness than just stats, so we’ll also tell you why each player makes our list. Stick around and see what you think of our list!
Don’t forget to check out Fanduel for the latest NFL news and rumors too.
1. Jared Allen
The first Minnesota Viking on our list is “Rodeo” Jared Allan. One of the most famous and dominant players in the history of the NFL, Allan easily makes it onto our list as one of the greatest Vikings of all time.
In four years with the Vikings, he accumulated 62 sacks and passed Chris Doleman’s record of sacks in a season with 22 sacks.
Allan will no doubt make the Hall of Fame one day so keep your eyes peeled for that.
2. Matt Birk
Matt Birk makes our list of the greatest Vikings NFL players of all time because he is the perfect combination of old-school and modern-day Viking legends.
Birk’s intelligence and durability in the center position resemble those of Mick Tingelhoff, the best center in Vikings history.
After recently retiring from the Baltimore Ravens, Birk is another player who might make the Hall of Fame one day.
3. Carl Eller
Carl Eller is arguably one of the best defensive ends the Minnesota Vikings have ever had play for them. A nightmare to obtain, the 6’5” beast, who weighs 250 lbs, achieved 130 sacks in his career.
Eller has already made it onto the Hall of Fame and will go down as a huge part of Minnesota history.
4. Randy Moss
Next up, we have Randy Moss. Randy Moss is one of the best players in Vikings history, despite being one of the most controversial too.
When he wasn’t scoring touchdowns and smashing defenders, he was out causing controversy. When he wasn’t causing trouble, Moss was an incredible player.
In his first seven seasons with the Vikings, he caught a whopping 90 touchdowns.
5. John Randle
John Randle is officially the second-best defensive player to ever play for the Vikings so of course he was going to make our list. Known by the nickname “Motor Mouth”, John Randle was an athlete that put fear into his opponents, and even some fans.
Signed as a free agent, Randle is still regarded as one of the greatest steals in NFL history, making 114 sacks in 11 seasons.
6. Cris Carter
As far as wide receivers go, they don’t get any better for the Vikings than Cris Carter. Carter is the best wide receiver to play for the Vikings. He’s also believed to have the best hands in NFL history.
Most Vikings fans actually believe that Carter was one of the main reasons why Moss became so good, as it was Carter that showed him the ropes.
7. Frank Tarkenton
When it comes to naming the greatest Viking of all time, Frank Tarkenton is usually part of the conversation. Frank Tarkenton was a talented quarterback who helped the Minnesota Vikings win their first-ever game.
There was a period in time when Tarkenton held every NFL passing mark and he still sits in the top 10 of most categories. He also revolutionized the game with his short passing and scrambling.
8. Randall McDaniel
Randall McDaniel, or Mr. Consistent set the NFL record for appearing and starting in 12 consecutive Super Bowls. He featured in one of them for the Buccaneers but he started the other 11 for the Vikings.
One of the best offensive guards the league’s ever seen and the greatest to play for the Vikings, not many players can say they featured in so many Super Bowls with one team.
9. Adrian Peterson
Peterson was selected for the Vikings as the team’s first-round pick in the 2007 draft. He played for the Vikings for the next 9 years and became one of the best running backs the sport has ever seen.
He rushed an impressive 8,800 yards in his six seasons, which sees him hold the all-time yardage record for the Vikings. Peterson is now without a team but he hasn’t yet retired.
10. Alan Page
Arguably the greatest Vikings NFL player of all time is Alan Page. At the heart of the best defensive line in NFL history, Page made a name for himself as one of the best NFL players of all time.
During his career, he earned almost 150 sacks and he was the first defensive player to ever win the MVP award.
Without a doubt, he will always be remembered as one of the most dominant forces in the NFL.
Final Thoughts
Since joining the NFL more than 50 years ago, Minnesota Vikings fans have been spoiled with some of the best NFL players of all time.
In this post, we showed you just 10 of the greatest NFL players of the Minnesota Vikings. We could have shown you more, but these 10 are by far the most iconic and influential.