Please stop saying Vikings QB issue is a media creation

It's simple: The minute Vikings coach Mike Zimmer says Case Keenum is the starter, period, he will stop getting asked who's the starting quarterback.

November 27, 2017 at 7:52PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

One of the most amusing and yet frustrating parts of the Vikings' quarterback situation over the past few weeks is the preponderance of e-mailers and social media followers who keep suggesting that any dilemma in a decision between Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater is solely a media creation.

Just a couple examples:

I had one e-mailer asking me to "Get a life and find something else to write about; spare us your endless babble about the quarterbacks."

Another on Twitter said a few days ago, "You media need to keep this subject alive week after week since there are no other interesting things to talk about vikes."

Actually, there are tons of great things to talk about with this 9-2 team. But the QB situation is fascinating. I'm going to keep babbling because it's pretty simple: The minute Vikings coach Mike Zimmer says Keenum is the starter, period, he will stop getting asked who is the starting quarterback and it will get less interesting.

But Zimmer continues to stop short of saying that. For a few weeks he has said he has a plan. And on Friday, a day after Keenum played very well (again) in leading the Vikings to their seventh straight victory, Zimmer would only say of Keenum, "He'll be the starter the next week, yeah."

Keenum now has posted three of the 10 best games of any QB all season in terms of Total QBR. But a long-term QB question still exists — one perpetuated by Zimmer and reported on by the media — presumably because 1) Zimmer doesn't need to make a definitive decision, 2) Bridgewater looks amazing in practice, 3) Zimmer thinks going week to week keeps Keenum motivated … or any/all combinations of those reasons.

The Vikings QB conundrum is unusual, to be sure, but it's not imaginary. The one person who could put it to rest simply has not done so.

about the writer

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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