Minnesota has had plenty of iconic players through the years, and some players were so prolific they were listed as the best to wear their respective numbers.
Our friends at Raiders Wire compiled a comprehensive list of the best NFL player to wear every single jersey number. The Vikings were well represented with six players, who were most well known for being on Minnesota, cracking the list. Players like Brett Favre, Gary Zimmerman and Donovan McNabb also made the ranks, but had more memorable seasons on different teams.
Here were the Minnesota players, followed by a brief explanation for each.
Fran Tarkenton
Tarkenton claimed the No. 10 on Raiders Wire’s list. Inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, he was named to Pro Football Reference’s list of first-team All-Decade for the 1960s and second-team All-Decade for the 1970s.
He was a quarterback who was known for making plays with his feet. He said, via Pro Football Hall of Fame, that “I scramble because I’m good at it, because I can twist and dodge those big pass rushers better than most guys and we get a lot of touchdowns that way.”
He spent time with the Giants, but was most well known for his seasons with the Vikings.
Randall McDaniel
McDaniel took home the honor of claiming No. 64 on the list. He was a 12-time Pro Bowler. His primary position was guard, but he even played fullback for the Vikings at times.
He blocked for players such as Randall Cunningham, Jake Reed and Randy Moss. He was also inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor.
Jared Allen
Allen is on the list as the top NFL player to wear No. 69.
Allen’s sack prowess first showed with the Chiefs, but when he came over to the Vikings via trade, he became one of the best pass-rushing defensive ends in Minnesota history.
He had 14.5 sacks for the Vikings in two consecutive years. One time in 2011, he had 22 sacks. Allen’s celebrations and play style made him an exciting player to watch.
Jim Marshall
Right next to Allen is another Vikings legend: Jim Marshall.
Marshall’s No. 70 became iconic when he played defensive line for a group that become known as the “Purple People Eaters,” consisting of Marshall, Alan Page, Gary Larsen, and Carl Eller.
He made two Pro Bowls, and was named to Pro Football Reference’s All-Decade team for the 1960’s and 1970’s, both of which were second-team honors.
Randy Moss
Seeing a No. 84 Moss jersey was a familiar sight for Vikings fans when Moss took the league by storm while playing for the team.
He had 17 touchdowns in two different seasons for Minnesota. He was an All-Pro in three different seasons for the Vikings.
John Randle
Randle was Raiders Wire’s pick as the best player to ever wear the No. 93.
Randle had eight consecutive seasons where he had double-digit sack totals for the Vikings. In 1997, he led the league in sacks with 15.5.
He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, two years after being inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor.
