The list of veteran quarterbacks who have come through Minnesota since Brad Childress became head coach in 2006 is about to grow by one. Sage Rosenfels, whom the Vikings attempted to acquire from Houston a year ago, was traded to the Vikings as free agency and the new league year opened on Friday.
Rosenfels, who will turn 31 on March 6, will compete with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting position. Childress said at the NFL Scouting Combine that he wanted to create a competition for the quarterback job, a difference from last year when Jackson was named the starter entering training camp. Only days before news of the Rosenfels trade broke, Childress had said that if veteran Gus Frerotte wanted to return that he could vie for the starting spot with Jackson. However, Rosenfels' presence led to Frerotte being released Friday.
Frerotte is unlikely to have many good memories about his second tour of duty in Minnesota. He signed to a two-year contract last spring to serve as Jackson's backup but took over as the starter after the Vikings got off to an 0-2 start. Frerotte went 8-3, although he did throw 15 interceptions, but lost his job after suffering a back injury late in the season.
Frerotte, who was due a $250,000 roster bonus in March, clearly was not happy with the situation and did not hide this fact. Jackson, meanwhile, was the starting and losing quarterback in the Vikings' playoff loss to Philadelphia. Rosenfels will be returning closer to home. He grew up in Maquoketa, Iowa, and attended Iowa State. He has made only 12 starts and appeared in 32 games since being a fourth-round draft choice of the Washington Redskins in 2001. He has 30 career touchdown passes, 29 interceptions and an 81.2 passer rating.
Rosenfels spent the past three seasons with Houston and went 2-3 in an up-and-down 2008. He passed for 1,431 yards, with six touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 79.5 passer rating in six games. Five of those came after starter Matt Schaub injured his knee in early November against the Vikings. Rosenfels played well in that game, completing 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the second half of a 28-21 loss. Rosenfels went 4-1 as a starter with the Texans in 2007 and obviously at that time his stock was higher. The Vikings, however, refused to surrender a second-round pick to the Texans last February.
The Vikings now will reportedly send a fourth-round choice for Rosenfels.
