The Minnesota Vikings have some tough decisions to make this offseason. One of which will be whether third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy should remain the team's starter. The 23-year-old missed his entire rookie year with a torn meniscus and played just 10 games in 2025, posting a startling 35.6 QBR for his 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Minnesota let Sam Darnold walk after his stellar 2024 with the team, and he made the Vikings pay for that decision by winning Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks. Now head coach Kevin O'Connell and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have to take a long, hard look in the mirror before choosing a path forward.
J.J. McCarthy's starting job is far from guaranteed in 2026
The NFL Combine is underway in Indianapolis and both O'Connell and Brzezinski are indicating their once-tight allegiance to McCarthy as the franchise QB is faltering.
"I don't think we're ruling anything out," Brzezinski told reporters Tuesday. "What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective."
He went on to cite McCarthy's health issues as "unfortunate" but his dancing around the issue essentially spells doom for the 2024 College Football Playoff national champion if he can't wildly impress in training camp.
"It's just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was at that point," O'Connell said of his previously unwavering confidence in McCarthy. "And I have a responsibility -- we have a responsibility collectively as we put together this team -- to make sure that we use the data that we have at this time and the experiences we have [when making decisions]."
There are a lot of directions the Vikings could go. They own the No. 18 pick in the upcoming draft so selecting a rookie is likely out of the question for now. 2025 backup Carson Wentz is a free agent and after the injury fiasco McConnell put him through, he's likely departing for greener pastures. Depth chart riders John Wolford and Brett Rypien are also eligible to hit the market.
So, where could Brzezinski and O'Connell turn for help? Lets evaluate the realistic options based on how likely they'd be to replace McCarthy as QB1.
Tier 1: Job Stealers
Since Minnesota is clearly jealous of its ex the team will most likely look to replicate the veteran rebound Darnold had in Minneapolis with another available QB looking for a starting job.
Kyler Murray has been widely reported as a top option if released by the Arizona Cardinals. His injury struggles (five starts in 2025) could easily put him in a lower tier but he's got more experience and has found enough success to reach the playoffs before.
Aaron Rodgers still has an opportunity to complete the Brett Favre story arc despite a pit stop in Pittsburgh last year. If he wants one last shot at a Lombardi Trophy (and continuing to own the Chicago Bears), joining forces with star wideout Justin Jefferson could be his best option.
Tier 2: Good Competition
This is where the bulk of Minnesota's choices would sit. The current free agent pool doesn't offer a lot of top quality passing options, especially with a backup like Malik Willis supposedly commanding $10.5 million on the market.
Could former Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints passer Derek Carr decide to come out of retirement? Nobody knows what kind of shape he's in but he'd automatically be in the running to push a youngster like McCarthy in training camp.
Once the Atlanta Falcons release Kirk Cousins he could be looking for a reunion with the Vikings. At 37-years-old he's in no position to demand the starting job but his play in 2025 when Michael Penix Jr. went down with injury proves he's still got enough in the tank to challenge McCarthy in 2026.
There's always the trade market as well. San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones displayed his ability to be a starting-caliber QB when Brock Purdy's turf toe sidelined him for a considerable amount of time. It might cost the Vikings a penny or two because there will be a healthy market for his services but if they're serious about seeing how McCarthy responds to the adversity, Jones is the best competition he could get.
Tier 3: Better as a Backup
With the aforementioned Wentz, Wolford and Rypien likely departing in free agency, the Vikings are going to need to pick to replace them. That is, unless they're cool with backup Max Brosmer being elevated to QB2. Four interceptions and 14 sacks in eight appearances tell me they won't be.
Washington Commanders backup Marcus Mariota played admirably last season in the absence of 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. At an estimated $4.8 million market value, he'd be considerably cheaper than rolling the dice on a guy like Willis.
Of course, Russell Wilson just doesn't know when to quit. He couldn't cut it in the Big Apple but perhaps he'd take employment where the mini-apple-is (sorry for the bad dad joke). If all other options fail, Wilson would be a better "break glass in case of emergency" option before turning to Brosmer again.