As if watching Sam Darnold try to win the Super Bowl on Sunday with the Seattle Seahawks isn’t hard enough, Vikings fans won’t get a reprieve if the New England Patriots win.
Donning championship caps at that point would be former Vikings Stefon Diggs and Garrett Bradbury (the latter of whom spoke of his desire to remain in Minnesota).
Darnold has caused plenty of second-guessing as he has quarterbacked Seattle to the verge of an NFL title. Sure, Diggs — with more time between and having definitely worn out his welcome in Minnesota — and Bradbury won’t bring the same kind of feelings as Darnold holding up a trophy at the end. Darnold’s success and J.J. McCarthy’s initial struggles is a fire still burning. (No one tell Vikings fans that Joshua Dobbs is also on New England’s roster).
If Darnold does win a Super Bowl on Sunday, he will go down as one of biggest “what-ifs” in Minnesota sports. Unfortunately, he joins a long line. There have been plenty of stars who couldn’t win in Minnesota, who left and became champions.
We wanted to take a look at some of the biggest stars who got their rings elsewhere. For the purposes of this exercise, anyone to win a championship in Minnesota doesn’t qualify. Thanks to the Twins and Lynx for helping pare down the list.
Without further ado (in no particular order):
Kevin Garnett
Is there any other to start us off? The “Big Ticket” was the ticket to many postseasons for the Wolves, pulling them out of their expansion-franchise woes. In 14 seasons in Minnesota, Garnett won an MVP, made 10 all-star teams and took the team to the playoffs in eight straight seasons. But a first-round loss followed in the first seven of those occasions. Finally, with resources put around Garnett such as Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, the Wolves made it to the Western Conference finals, only to lose in six games to Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. Three years later, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics and won a championship in his first season after leaving Minnesota.
FILE — This is a June 17, 2008, file photo showing Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, left, Ray Allen, center, and Paul Pierce celebrating in the locker room after winning the NBA basketball championship, with a 131-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, in Boston. The Big Three who led the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008 added a Big One when Rasheed Wallace signed as a sixth man. With the return of Kevin Garnett from knee surgery that weakened the Celtics in the playoffs, they’re poised for a serious run at another championship. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)
Andrew Wiggins
Sorry, Wolves fans, but let’s keep the NBA train rolling. Wiggins was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and acquired by Minnesota in a three-team deal. All the promise that Anthony Edwards seems to be fulfilling was once there with Wiggins, who won the Rookie of the Year award and was later an all-star. But team success didn’t follow. The Wolves made the playoffs once with Wiggins, a first-round exit in 2018. Not two years later, he was traded to Golden State and helped the Warriors win the championship in 2022.
Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after defeating the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 16, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Kevin Love
We’re not picking at wounds, we promise. The trade that landed Wiggins in Minnesota sent Love to Cleveland. Two years later, Love was an NBA champion. The Wolves never made the playoffs in six seasons with Love, who was a three-time all-star in that timeframe.
Katie Smith
Let’s stick with basketball. There was a time the Lynx were, basically, an afterthought before becoming the most prolific championship team in Minnesota professional sports, winning four titles in seven seasons. Smith was the first star for the Lynx. In seven seasons, the Hall of Famer was named All-WNBA four times. She led the team to back-to-back Western Conference semifinals before being traded to Detroit, where she was a two-time champion.
David Ortiz
Another summertime team with championships in their history, the Twins have also had lean years, leading to a few more “what-ifs?” No one exemplifies that, and infuriates Twins fans more, than Ortiz. The gregarious Dominican had a promising start to his career with Minnesota but never blossomed until he signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. The Twins made the playoffs one season with Ortiz, his last in 2002. In Boston, he finished out a Hall of Fame career with more than 500 home runs, 10 all-star games and three World Series championships.
Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, right, addresses the crowd alongside team owner John Henry, left, after the Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 in Game 6 of the American League baseball championship series on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, in Boston. The Red Sox advance to the World Series.(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Doug Mientkiewicz/A.J. Pierzynski
Mientkiewicz and Pierzynski (at least while he was in Minnesota) were fan favorites of the next iteration of successful Twins baseball. The group that included Corey Koskie, Christian Guzman, Jacque Jones, Torii Hunter, Johan Santana and Brad Radke would also fall short. Mientkiewicz played seven years in Minnesota and made the playoffs twice (including a trip to the American League Championship Series in 2002). Pierzynski was on that 2002 team and was on two playoff teams in six years. He went on to win the World Series in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox. Mientkiewicz was traded to Boston midway through the 2004 season and caught the last out for the World Series winners.
Brian Dozier/Eddie Rosario/Mitch Garver/Ryan Pressly
The next competitive Twins group also fell short, a big part of that record 18-game playoff losing streak. Dozier went on to win a title in 2019 with the Washington Nationals, Rosario followed with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, Pressly got his championship in 2022 with the Houston Astros, and Garver made it three in a row as the starting designated hitter for the 2023 Texas Rangers.
Washington Nationals player Javy Guerra and Brian Dozier and Anibal Sanchez celebrates the World Series baseball championship during a rally following the parade to celebrate the team’s World Series baseball championship over Houston Astros, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Dallas Stars
What’s worse than a former star going on to glory elsewhere? How about an entire team? The Minnesota North Stars had plenty of success, but their best finish was losing the Stanley Cup final in 1991. No need to rehash history, but they left Minnesota in 1991 to become the Dallas Stars. Six years later, with former North Stars such as Mike Modano and Derian Hatcher still on the roster, they won the Stanley Cup.
19 Jun 1999: The Dallas Stars pose for a team photo with the Stanely Cup trophy as they celebrate the win over the Buffalo Sabres at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Dallas Stars defeated the Sabres 2-1 in the third overtime. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport
Marian Gaborik
Minnesota’s new NHL team isn’t immune to seeing stars go win elsewhere. Gaborik, the original Wild star, had eight seasons in Minnesota and three playoff appearances, including a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2003. He later won a Stanley Cup in 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings.
Darcy Kuemper
Kuemper could hardly carve himself out a role in five seasons with the Wild. Three teams later, he helped the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Brad Johnson
Finally, we wrap up with former Vikings that are trying to follow Darnold’s lead. Surprisingly, despite having success in a deep history with plenty of star power over the years, not many true “stars” have left Minnesota to win a Super Bowl. Even Johnson barely fits the bill. He started parts of three seasons for the Vikings and it was two teams after leaving before he finally reached the mountain top, quarterbacking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the championship after the 2002 season. An honorable mention, former Viking Jeff Christy was Johnson’s center that season.
Gary Zimmerman/Matt Birk
Offensive linemen have had the most success as former Vikings. The Hall of Famer Zimmerman went on to win with the Denver Broncos in his final year after the 1997 season. Birk, the St. Paul native and Cretin-Derham Hall grad, also left on top, winning after the 2012 season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk, bottom, plays with his children on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome field after an NFL Super Bowl XLVII walkthrough on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Percy Harvin
The 2013 Seattle Seahawks featured a few former Vikings, so perhaps it’s natural for Vikings fans to root against Seattle. Harvin had a kickoff return for a touchdown in the Super Bowl for the Seahawks, who also had Sidney Rice (he missed back half of season with knee injury), Tarvaris Jackson (backup quarterback to Russell Wilson) and linebacker Heath Farwell on the roster.
Seattle Seahawks’ Percy Harvin, left, celebrates with a teammate after the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Seahawks won 43-8. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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