There’s a level of trust J.J. McCarthy must gain back if he is going to be the Minnesota Vikings‘ starting quarterback next season, and if not, there is an ideal veteran who has a history with Kevin O’Connell waiting in the wings.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell were non-committal on McCarthy remaining the starting quarterback next season in their end-of-year news conferences. O’Connell emphasized the importance of having a deep quarterback room and his desire for competition.
Meanwhile, Adofo-Mensah pivoted to team success when asked about McCarthy’s prospects of starting next season.
“I want the Vikings to achieve our goals, and I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs and do different things like that. I think [McCarthy] has the character and ability to be the person and do that for our organization. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area,” Adofo-Mensah said on January 13. “The way we’ve set this team up, we built this corridor, really like we’ve always talked about, give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there’s going to be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open and you can make that run.
“So, that’s what we’re really focused on talking about. Whether it’s this year or next year isn’t really my immediate reflection. It’s my job to really bring that deep, competitive room that we’ve talked about to the Vikings.”
Several names have begun circling the Vikings fan lexicon, and while some require far-fetched, blockbuster deals that would shake the NFL, there is one quarterback who has familiarity with O’Connell and is coming off a season that would be ideal for the Vikings to replicate.
Marcus Mariota Deemed an Ideal QB to Pair With Vikings’ JJ McCarthy
GettyWashington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota reacting after an NFL game.
Playing quarterback matchmaker, Sportsnaut’s Matt Johnson urged the Vikings to pursue Washington Commanders veteran Marcus Mariota in free agency.
“The Minnesota Vikings are not going to pursue a quarterback who would be viewed as a serious challenger to J.J. McCarthy in training camp. What Kevin O’Connell wants is a veteran who can, if needed, come off the bench and play effectively within the structure of the offense,” Johnson wrote.
“Look at what Marcus Mariota has done in the last two seasons when Jayden Daniels was sidelined. Across 14 games, he posted a 93.4 passer rating with a 14-7 touchdown-to-interception line, a 63.8 percent completion rate and 7.6 yards per attempt. Plus, he offers rushing ability. He is an ideal and cost-effective option for Minnesota. If McCarthy struggles early next season, the offense could improve with Mariota under center.”
Mariota played eight games this season in Washington with Daniels out. And while the 2-6 record is far from encouraging, the Vikings have shown to have the offensive infrastructure to prop up veteran quarterbacks who can operate a higher-level of O’Connell’s offense.
Other Vikings Veteran QB Candidates
Appraising the upcoming quarterback market, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert gave his thoughts on who the Vikings could target this offseason.
Seifert discounted the likelihood that Joe Burrow or Daniel Jones could land in Minnesota, but below that tier of quarterbacks are veterans who could be content taking a back seat to McCarthy, but also catch fire if given a chance to start.
“Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis, who has started six games in four seasons, is a pending free agent but is likely to have multiple suitors. The Atlanta Falcons could release former Vikings starter Kirk Cousins, 37, in mid-March. Aaron Rodgers, 42, and Joe Flacco, 41, will be free agents. So will Jimmy Garoppolo, who has started seven games in the past three seasons, and Russell Wilson, who is 37 and ranks No. 32 in NFL QBR since the start of the 2021 season,” Seifert wrote.
The following quarterbacks would likely push more competition in training camp.
“The San Francisco 49ers‘ Mac Jones and the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Geno Smith could be available via trade, and the Miami Dolphins might part ways with Tua Tagovailoa. Jones has been a backup for two seasons, Smith ranked No. 27 in NFL QBR this season, and Tagovailoa ranked No. 26.”
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