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Safe to say that things haven’t proceeded as planned for Minnesota at the game’s most important position. Accordingly, the Vikings worked out some options before deciding on Desmond Ridder.
Behind the scenes, the team’s leadership brought more players to town. Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune offered the update: “In addition to Desmond Ridder, the #Vikings tried out five other players on Tuesday, including former Browns and Eagles quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.” Alongside the extra passer within the workout were running back Raheem Blackshear, guard Kyle Hergel, guard Addison West, and running back Ian Wheeler.
Lost in the Shuffle, The Vikings Worked Out Another QB
Consider one factor: Ridder was most recently an employee of the Cincinnati Bengals. Coming to town in Week 3, very conveniently, are the Cincinnati Bengals. Might those two realities be connected somehow?
Zac Taylor seems sure to lean on his own depth passer — Mr. Brett Rypien — for the inside scoop on the Vikings. The former Viking is now the main backup after Joe Burrow was lost for several months. New starter Jake Browning used to be a Viking, as well, but he won’t have much (if any) knowledge of how things are operating since he wasn’t coached by Kevin O’Connell. The same cannot be said of Rypien, someone who is employed in the NFL primarily due to his brain bandwidth.
 throws a pass during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/USATSI_26815687_168394844_lowres.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=787,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/USATSI_26815687_168394844_lowres.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/USATSI_26815687_168394844_lowres.jpg” alt ><figcaption>Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Rypien (11) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>So, fair is fair. </p>
<p>Go ahead and bring Desmond Ridder to town. If a few state secrets get shared — some of the tendencies within the Bengals offense — then so be it. Cincinnati will need to adjust their language to keep their intentions disguised while Minnesota does likewise. </p>
<p>What’s fascinating is simply that Dorian Thompson-Robinson was also considered. </p>
<p>Undersized at 6’2″ and 203 pounds, Thompson-Robinson was picked in the 5th of the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 140 overall). At No. 141, the Vikings opted for DT Jaquelin Roy (no longer a Viking); later on in the 5th, the Vikings picked QB Jaren Hall (No. 164 and also no longer a Viking). The 25-year-old Thompson-Robinson spent 2023 and 2024 with the Browns, getting into game action on fifteen occasions while starting five games in his career. </p>
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I’m the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. I am Canadian.