The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2025 season with high expectations stemming from a very successful 2024 campaign. Yet the man who led their 14-win conquest wasn't brought back, and is currently headed to Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterback Sam Darnold was not retained by Minnesota after last year, and instead head coach Kevin O'Connell turned to 2023 first-round selection J.J. McCarthy. The results yielded were ... less than fruitful.
McCarthy started just 10 games, missing a good chunk of the season with injury while throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and a cringe-worthy 12 interceptions. O'Connell will still likely give McCarthy the starting nod in 2026, but with last year's backup Carson Wentz — recovering from his own injury — now a free agent, bringing in some competition for the 23-year-old wouldn't hurt.
3 QBs the Vikings should acquire to challenge J.J. McCarthy
Malik Willis
We all saw what the 26-year-old did in the absence of Green Bay Packers starter Jordan Love for four games (two starts). Willis' 422 passing yards (123 rushing), five total touchdowns and just one turnover were more than serviceable despite both his starts resulting in losses.
His athleticism, decision-making and overall form looked much better than his time as a Tennessee Titan, and he wouldn't just be coming to Minnesota to back up McCarthy. There'd be a true competition during training camp with Willis having a realistic shot at starting games if McCarthy gets hurt or simply cannot live up to expectations in his second full year under center. The only issue will be the expense: Minnesota hardly has any cap space to begin with, so any signing would have to wait until some hard decisions are made and a lot of money is cleared off the ledgers.
Mac Jones
When Brock Purdy went down for two months with turf toe, Mac Jones stepped in and helped keep a beleaguered San Francisco team on track for playoff qualification. He went 5-3 in eight starts, racking up 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. If it weren't for how much money the Niners have invested in Purdy (and his clutch factor), Jones could've kept the starter job a little longer.
He still has a year remaining on his contract, so Minnesota would have to figure a way to acquire Jones from San Francisco in a trade. The Vikings have draft assets (and some expiring contracts of their own) they can deal. If they get creative enough, there's a path for Jones to be in training camp and giving McCarthy a run for his money by August.
Russell Wilson
This would be the last-ditch, Aaron Rodgers'-final-ride option for O'Connell. Wilson says he plans to play again in 2026 after a premature exit from the starting job in New York. He didn't play exceptionally well in three starts, with just 831 yards, three touchdowns and as many interceptions.
Wilson would be the QB you bring in as the veteran mentor who can teach McCarthy a thing or two while also reminding him the starter job isn't locked down entirely. Had it not been for the Jameis Winston experience, the Giants would've had the same situation with Jaxson Dart when he suffered multiple concussions. That's not to say Wilson was actually challenging Dart for the starting job, but McCarthy certainly isn't at the same level as Dart. At least not yet.
McCarthy needs competition to develop. Injuries — to McCarthy and his original competition (Wentz) — have stunted that development. Bringing in a QB that isn't just there for the backup role but to challenge for the starting job will push McCarthy to either adapt or fail.
O'Connell needs a failsafe in that situation, and whoever beats out McCarthy needs to be able to hold the reins for at least this season. Minnesota must shop for a QB1b of sorts in order to fulfill that need and remain competitive.