Players who played for both the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings

63 NFL players have suited up for both franchises. Here they all are, ranked the way The Chains ranks them, most recognizable first.

Players

Easy to name

Epic

Best link

Chains matchup: Tough. Compared with the other 495 team pairs, based on how many of these players are easy to name.

How this plays in The Chains

Every link in a puzzle is scored by how unlikely it was that a fan would name it. Connect a Browns player to a Vikings player through Rodney Smith and the link is rated Epic (+160 bonus points). The obvious answers score little. The deep cuts are where the big points are.

Play today's puzzle

Easy to name

Common and Uncommon. The easiest answers between these two teams.

Sheldon Richardson
DT · 2013–2021 · CLE 2019–2020, MIN 2018, 2021
Common
Za'Darius Smith
OLB · 2015–2026 · CLE 2023–2024, MIN 2022
Uncommon
Jordan Hicks
ILB · 2015–2024 · CLE 2024, MIN 2022–2023
Uncommon
Dalvin Tomlinson
DL · 2017–2026 · CLE 2023–2024, MIN 2021–2022
Uncommon

In the middle

Real answers, but not the first ones people think of.

Dwayne Rudd
LB · 1997–2003 · CLE 2001–2002, MIN 1997–2000
Rare
Derrick Alexander
WR · 1994–2002 · CLE 1994–1995, MIN 2002
Rare
Corey Fuller
DB · 1995–2004 · CLE 1999–2002, MIN 1995–1998
Rare
Ben Tate
RB · 2011–2014 · CLE 2014, MIN 2014
Rare
Sione Takitaki
LB · 2019–2025 · CLE 2019–2023, MIN 2025
Rare
Ralph Brown
DB · 2000–2009 · CLE 2006, MIN 2004–2005
Rare
Robert Griffith
DB · 1994–2006 · CLE 2002–2004, MIN 1994–2001
Rare
Case Keenum
QB · 2013–2026 · CLE 2020–2021, MIN 2017
Rare
Jim McMahon
QB · 1990–1996 · CLE 1995, MIN 1993
Rare
Mekhi Blackmon
DB · 2023–2026 · CLE 2026, MIN 2023
Rare
Andrew Sendejo
DB · 2010–2021 · CLE 2020, MIN 2011–2019
Rare
Brian Russell
SS · 2002–2009 · CLE 2005–2006, MIN 2002–2004
Rare
Kenny Wright
DB · 1999–2007 · CLE 2007, MIN 1999–2001
Rare
Darius Holland
DL · 1995–2004 · CLE 1999–2000, MIN 2002
Rare
Sheldon Day
DL · 2016–2025 · CLE 2021, MIN 2023
Rare
Joshua Dobbs
QB · 2017–2026 · CLE 2022, MIN 2023
Rare
Cam Robinson
OL · 2017–2025 · CLE 2025, MIN 2024
Rare
Nick Mullens
QB · 2018–2026 · CLE 2021, MIN 2022–2024
Rare
Jason Fisk
DL · 1995–2006 · CLE 2005, MIN 1995–1998
Rare
Tavierre Thomas
DB · 2018–2025 · CLE 2018–2020, MIN 2025
Rare
Harlon Barnett
DB · 1990–1996 · CLE 1990–1992, MIN 1995–1996
Rare
Leroy Hoard
RB · 1990–1999 · CLE 1990–1995, MIN 1996–1999
Rare
Kelly Holcomb
QB · 1996–2007 · CLE 2001–2004, MIN 2007
Rare
Jason Trusnik
LB · 2007–2016 · CLE 2009–2010, MIN 2015–2016
Rare
Travis Prentice
RB · 2000–2002 · CLE 2000, MIN 2001
Rare
Spergon Wynn
QB · 2000–2001 · CLE 2000, MIN 2001
Rare
Ifeadi Odenigbo
DL · 2018–2022 · CLE 2018, 2021, MIN 2019–2020
Rare
Randy Baldwin
RB · 1991–1996 · CLE 1991–1994, MIN 1991
Rare
C.J. Mosley
DT · 2005–2015 · CLE 2009, MIN 2005
Rare
Greg Joseph
K · 2018–2024 · CLE 2018, MIN 2021–2023
Rare
Stalin Colinet
DL · 1997–2001 · CLE 1999–2001, MIN 1997–1999, 2001
Rare
Britton Colquitt
P · 2009–2020 · CLE 2016–2018, MIN 2019–2020
Rare
Richard Brown
LB · 1990–1996 · CLE 1991–1993, MIN 1994–1996
Rare
Najee Mustafaa
DB · 1990–1995 · CLE 1993, MIN 1990–1992
Rare
MarQueis Gray
TE · 2013–2017 · CLE 2013, MIN 2014
Rare
Melvin Fowler
C · 2002–2008 · CLE 2002–2004, MIN 2005
Rare
T.Y. McGill
DT · 2015–2024 · CLE 2017, 2024, MIN 2021
Rare
Bobby Abrams
LB · 1990–1996 · CLE 1992, MIN 1993–1994
Rare
Alfred Jackson
WR · 1990–1996 · CLE 1991–1992, MIN 1995–1996
Rare
Jerry Ball
DL · 1990–1999 · CLE 1993, 1999, MIN 1997–1999
Rare
Felix Wright
DB · 1990–1993 · CLE 1990, MIN 1991–1992
Rare
Leo Lewis
WR · 1990–1991 · CLE 1990, MIN 1990–1991
Rare
Everett Lindsay
OL · 1993–2003 · CLE 2000, MIN 1993–1998, 2001–2003
Rare
Van Waiters
LB · 1990–1992 · CLE 1990–1991, MIN 1992
Rare
Mike Hawkins
CB · 2005–2006 · CLE 2006, MIN 2006
Epic
Derrick L. Alexander
DL · 1995–2000 · CLE 1999–2000, MIN 1995–1998
Epic
John Thornton
DL · 1991–1993 · CLE 1991–1992, MIN 1993
Epic
Roy Barker
DL · 1992–2000 · CLE 1999, MIN 1992–1995, 2000
Epic
Artis Hicks
T · 2002–2011 · CLE 2011, MIN 2006–2009
Epic
Jayme Mitchell
DE · 2006–2011 · CLE 2010–2011, MIN 2006–2007, 2009–2010
Epic
Pat Newman
WR · 1990–1994 · CLE 1994, MIN 1990
Epic

The rarest links

The players almost nobody names first, and the biggest bonus in a puzzle.

Kyle Richardson
SPEC · 1997–2005 · CLE 2005, MIN 2002
Epic
Cedric Killings
DL · 2000–2007 · CLE 2001, MIN 2002
Epic
Orlando Bobo
OL · 1997–2001 · CLE 1999, MIN 1997–1998
Epic
Greg Mancz
C · 2016–2022 · CLE 2022, MIN 2022
Epic
Nat Dorsey
T · 2004–2007 · CLE 2005–2007, MIN 2004
Epic
Adimchinobe Echemandu
RB · 2004–2007 · CLE 2004, MIN 2005
Epic
Mike Morris
OL · 1990–1999 · CLE 1990, MIN 1991–1999
Epic
Rodney Smith
WR · 2013–2015 · CLE 2014, MIN 2013–2014
Epic

Teams are counted as franchises, so earlier cities and names are included (the Raiders in Oakland, the Rams in St. Louis, the Titans as the Oilers). Rarity tiers come from the same scoring The Chains uses in its daily puzzles. A small set of one-season 2002 entries that couldn't be verified is left out.

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Players who played for both the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings

Easy to name

In the middle

The rarest links

More Browns matchups

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