Tarvaris Jackson Willing to Try MMA Training to Not Suck at Job

The Minnesota Vikings have a huge decision to make this offseason. Should they beg veteran Gus Frerotte to come back? Is it time to sink or swim with Tarvaris Jackson (though I think they already did this)? Do they find another veteran, perhaps one who wants to throw interceptions to the Packers twice before he figures out that it's time to retire?

Complicating matters is Jackson's tendency to play well in spurts and randomly implode, while Frerotte did manage to win games despite a large number of interceptions. As he gets ready for his fourth year, Jackson is willing to try some unorthodox measures to improve.

What do I mean by "unorthodox"? I mean MMA.

Yes, MMA.

Access Vikings says FOX's Jay Glazer, who has dabbled in MMA and is not a man you want to mess with, has been asked by offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to get Jackson going in MMA training.

This is not unprecedented. Lots of NFL players have used MMA training in the offseason, including Jackson's teammate, defensive end Jared Allen. In fact, Allen's improvement as a player is partially credit to MMA, and Glazer told WFAN (New York) it went into the Vikings' thinking on Jackson.

"I had gotten Jared Allen in one two years ago," Glazer said. "We turned him from a big, stiff white guy to a guy that actually can come off the edge. He came in every day, was committed to us out in Arizona. They asked if we could do the same for Tarvaris to get his hips ... really loosen up his hips. It looks like they are planning long-term with him."

Allen talked in 2007 about how working with Arizona Combat Sports helped him.

"The cardio that fighters go through is just intense," Allen said. "This offseason I didn't do any running. I did all my intense cardio at Arizona Combat Sports. When I went off to minicamp in the spring, we were running wind sprints one day and I had more gas than I knew what to do with. The cardio level of these fighters is so intense because their life depends on them not being tired."

It's a really interesting concept for a quarterback. Obviously, MMA is not going to help Jackson's footwork, throwing mechanics, or ability to read a defense. However, there might be some mental components to this conditioning that help Jackson prepare for a 2009 season where he or someone else is sure to be the Vikings' starting quarterback.

Considering how close the Vikings' roster is to being an elite team, it's highly important they solve the quarterback situation. Jackson is the path of least resistance, but is he the right answer?