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Vikings QB Move Called 'Worst Trade in 10 Years'
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings haven't had the best luck at quarterback, but a few moments have altered the course of the franchise dramatically.

Coming off a Pro Bowl and playoff berth in his second season, 2014 first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater was poised to take a great leap with the Vikings before he suffered a devastating knee injury late in training camp.

The Vikings had just a few weeks to find a new starting quarterback and were rightfully scrambling, leading to what Bleacher Report deemed the franchise's worst trade of the decade.

"In panic mode, then-GM Rick Spielman traded for [Sam] Bradford. Of course, the 2010 first overall pick (by the Rams) had his own lengthy injury history—including torn ACLs in 2013 and 2014—which is why the Eagles traded up for Carson Wentz in the 2016 draft and were willing to move Bradford afterward," .

"The Vikings surrendered a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick. That's a lot for an oft-injured player who clearly wasn't considered Philly's QB of the future. In return, Minnesota got 17 starts over two seasons out of Bradford," he added. 

Despite Bradford's late arrival, the Vikings went 5-0 to start the season before fizzling out and finishing 8-8. Bradford went 7-8, throwing for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

However, his Vikings tenure was largely overshadowed by the emergence of Case Keenum. Bradford started just two of the first five games of the 2017 season due to a knee injury before he was lost for the season with an ACL tear, thrusting Keenum, the team's No. 3 quarterback, into the starting role.

Keenum led the Vikings on a run to the NFC title game and was the orchestrator of the Minneapolis Miracle.

The Vikings eventually opted for more stability at the position, signing Kirk Cousins to the first fully guaranteed contract in NFL history.

However, despite six seasons and $185 million invested in Cousins, the Vikings never returned to the NFC Championship Game.

After trying to make it work with Cousins, the new regime of Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has hitched itself to J.J. McCarthy as the next long-term answer at the position.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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