, ▁and ▁turno vers . ▁After ▁the ▁season , ▁Child ress ▁would ▁not ▁say ▁if ▁Tar var is ▁Jackson ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁st arter ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁explaining ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁" evalu ate ▁the ▁total ▁body ▁of ▁work " ▁first . ▁▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁season ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁media ▁coverage ▁on ▁Jackson ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁Vik ings ▁returned ▁seven ▁players ▁that ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Pro ▁Bowl ▁( only ▁three ▁teams ▁had ▁more ), ▁and ▁spent ▁$ 6 0   mill ion ▁in ▁guaranteed ▁contract ▁money ▁upgrad ing ▁their ▁team ▁with ▁J ared ▁Allen , ▁trad ed ▁from ▁the ▁Kansas ▁City ▁Chief s , ▁and ▁free ▁agents ▁Bernard ▁Ber rian ▁and ▁Mad ieu ▁Williams . ▁Several ▁anal yst s ▁believed ▁better ▁quarter back ▁play ▁was ▁all ▁that ▁was ▁needed ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁cont ending ▁teams ▁in ▁the ▁NFL , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁Green ▁Bay ▁Pack ers ▁losing ▁Bre tt ▁F av re ▁the ▁N FC ▁North ▁Division ▁was ▁up ▁for ▁gra bs . ▁Sport ' s ▁Illustr ated ' s ▁Paul ▁Z imm erman ▁predicted ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁would ▁win ▁the ▁Super ▁Bowl . ▁ ▁Head ▁coach ▁Brad ▁Child ress ▁decided ▁to ▁stay ▁with ▁Jackson ▁as ▁the ▁starting ▁quarter back ▁and ▁brought ▁in ▁G us ▁F rer otte ▁to ▁be ▁his ▁backup . ▁It ▁was ▁widely ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁off - season ▁that ▁Jackson ▁had ▁a