Sage Rosenfels: 'This Wasn't What I Was Hoping For'

The only person having a worse day on Monday than the entire Green Bay Packers fan base is new Vikings backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels.

Rosenfels has gotten plenty of experience at being a dutiful backup. He spent four years in Miami backing up Jay Fiedler, A.J. Feeley and Gus Frerotte, then spent the next three seasons backing up David Carr and Matt Schaub. But the reason he worked to get traded to Minnesota was because, for the first time, he was going to get a shot at a starting job.

Now, he's back to being a backup, which was not the plan.

"For me, personally, this wasn't what I was hoping for. I tried to get traded here, and got traded here. But in my nine years, this is the best football team I've ever been on. We've got so much talent."

There probably won't be a whole lot of fans around the country feeling sorry for Rosenfels -- his reputation has been tarnished by his collapse against the Colts that culminated in the Rosencopter. But if you've watched Rosenfels play, there is some potential there -- he was very good in 2007 and showed flashes of success in 2008. As the Sporting News pointed out Wednesday, Rosenfels has actually outproduced Brett Favre if you compare the two's past 16 games.

The Vikings need Rosenfels to handle this demotion well. With Favre turning 40 during the season and already nursing a torn rotator cuff, there's a pretty good chance Rosenfels will still end up having to play.

"And if the team needs me this year - when the team needs me this year - I'm going to be ready and play playoff-caliber football for this team, if this team needs me. I'm going to keep working, as if I was the anointed starter."