Tavaris Jackson is Still the Best Quarterback in Minnesota

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

I’ve been on vacation for a while here. But there is nothing that will bring a writer off vacation faster than the speculation by Vikings writer Judd Zulgad that if Favre is in, Tarvaris Jackson is out.

Jackson out? Are you kidding me? Tarvaris has been the model citizen and has taken everything that the Vikings' boring offensive coordinators have thrown at him in his development. Yes, Sage Rosenfels was brought in to compete. But Rosenfel’s has—what?—seven career starts in a nine-year career with three different teams?

I’m not trying to demean the guy, but come on, Zulgad, he is far from having the inside track to unseating Jackson in the Vikings' offense. And if Favre plays, it will possibly be for one final season, and Rosenfels is already knocking the door down on the 10-year mark.

Yes, Rosenfels will earn $4 million dollars a season, but his salary is no guarantee that he is to be the appointed one. Heck, what is Vince Young earning these days?  History tells us that an average quarterback begins to tail off around the eight year mark. So I doubt if the Vikings are willing to trade the younger Jackson at this point.

In fact, if and when Favre arrives, I predict that Rosenfels becomes the highest paid third string QB in the NFL. If the Vikings do not carry four QBs on their roster, the odd man out will be Booty, because they have never seen him as more than an insurance policy.

Childress has faith in Jackson and just loves the kid. Jackson stood up big time last season while battling his son’s illness and never once complained—that’s the eventual leader that Childress hopes to transfer to the playing field.

If Tarvaris is so good, then why bring in Favre?

To enable Jackson with a full season to sit and learn from a Hall of Fame QB can only help him. Jackson is young, physically gifted with mobility, and one of the strongest arms in the NFL. He has major upside that the Vikings would regret trading away.

Brett Favre runs the West Coast offense better than anyone—except for maybe Montana and Young of the 49ers' glory days.

The West Coast offense is a spread offense laced with QB options and who’s better at finding those options than Brett Favre? It is the type of offense in which a QB will have wide open receivers or, if need be, he can thrive on instincts.

After watching Favre’s leadership, instinct and will to win, any young QB will be much better. Just look at what he did for Aaron Rodgers. No one can argue that Rodgers' quick development is not in part to his sitting and learning behind Brett Favre.

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