The Minnesota Vikings need quarterback help, but that discussion should not involve JJ McCarthy. Minnesota let Sam Darnold walk, while Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens signed elsewhere. That means McCarthy ought to be the surefire starting quarterback – and reports from NFL Insiders have suggested as much. Meanwhile, head coach Kevin O'Connell has yet to actually use those words, all the while admiring old film of Aaron Rodgers, who remains available in NFL free agency.
Per Alec Lewis of The Athletic, O'Connell and the Vikings coaching staff are discussing their options. For now, Rodgers is not a fit in Minnesota, but the longer this drags out without a permanent solution for the future Hall of Famer or the Vikings, the more it can harm McCarthy's confidence and development.
"Once O’Connell learned of Rodgers’ interest, executives and coaches evaluated Rodgers’ film from the 2024 season late into the night. Staffers spoke with one another for hours about all of the dynamics: how McCarthy would feel about the move, how Rodgers would fit into the Vikings’ culture, what the optics would look like and how O’Connell would blend his schematic philosophies with Rodgers’ preferences," Lewis wrote.
Kevin O'Connell and Vikings should be out on Aaron Rodgers
That does not sound like a head coach who is confident in his second-year quarterback's ability to step in, fresh off an injury, and lead the Vikings back to the postseason. As Lewis noted, the last time O'Connell spoke to the media about McCarthy was in January, which was prior to free agency. At the time, O'Connell didn't give McCarthy the nod as starter, as Darnold and Jones were still on the board.
“I’m very excited about where J.J. is at. Him being able to absorb (a lot of the offense this past year) and now have a really positive offseason from start to finish here will be able to answer that question (about whether or not he’ll be the starter) as well as what that quarterback room looks like as a whole," O'Connell said.
Until we hear O'Connell declare McCarthy the starting quarterback, the possibility of the Vikings signing Rodgers remains. And per Lewis's analysis of the situation, O'Connell sounded a whole lot more excited about Rodgers film than the prospect of McCarthy starting right away in Year 2 – though that is just my interpretation of events.
The Vikings are reportedly unlikely to sign Rodgers, which is the good news. Instead, Minnesota could ink Ryan Tannehill as a backup who could step in if McCarthy isn't ready to go. Rodgers is favored to land in Pittsburgh, though he clearly preferred the Vikings if they were interested.
As his Netflix documentary suggests, Rodgers is an enigma, and one we are tired of covering. The Vikings are out, for now, with the door slightly ajar.