JJ McCarthy produced the best showing of his NFL career in Week 14 against the Washington Commanders, but the Minnesota Vikings will still look for a quarterback come next March.
The question is precisely what type of signal-caller the Vikings will be looking to acquire. If McCarthy is as good as he was Sunday for the last month of the season, Minnesota might seek a competent veteran on an inexpensive contract as a safeguard against more injury problems for the young starter.
However, if McCarthy struggles down the stretch, the Vikings will probably hunt a viable competitor for the QB1 job given how much they regressed this season without Sam Darnold, despite retaining high-level skill players and an opportunistic, playmaking defense.
In the latter scenario, a player like Daniel Jones might have made sense in free agency. And while he could still be a mid-season value play in 2026 once he returns from his Achilles tear, Minnesota probably has a better chance at finding a longterm starter on the trade market.
One option could be Tanner McKee, the backup to Jalen Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles, who enters the final year of his rookie contract next season.
“McKee has been excellent in very limited action,” Kimes said Tuesday, December 9. “The bigger decision is not whether to move [from Hurts] to McKee, because I don’t think they will. It’s whether they trade McKee if they get offers for him.”
“I would not be surprised if they flip McKee and then they go sign Malik Willis in free agency,” Solak added.
Tanner McKee Ready to Start in NFL Immediately
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee.
McKee, 25 years old, was a sixth-round pick in 2023, but he’s a favorite of some of the game’s top analysts due to his mix of game-processing abilities and arm talent.
McKee completed 20-of-25 passes for 252 yards and two TDs against the Cincinnati Bengals during the Eagles’ preseason opener. He has appeared in just three games as a professional, starting only one of those, but has amassed a career stat line of 30-of-45 passing for 323 yards, four TDs and zero INTs.
Philadelphia won McKee’s sole start by a score of 20-13, which came against the New York Giants in Week 18 last season.
“My takeaway was just that he looked like a vet. He looked so accurate,” Kimes said on August 12 of McKee’s preseason showing against Cincinnati. “What you are getting is a guy who could probably execute just about every offense in the league.”
Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson Also Trade Candidates for Vikings
GettyQuarterback Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers.
Solak added on that mid-August podcast that McKee’s trade value is somewhere between a second- and third-round pick. The final year on his contract carries a salary cap hit of just under $1.2 million.
Thus, McKee’s salary is cheap, but his trade cost is steep. Still, the Vikings will probably have to pay a similar price if they hope to pry Mac Jones away from the San Francisco 49ers. The same is likely true of Anthony Richardson in Indy, as Jones’ injury increases Richardson’s value to the Colts heading into 2026.
It may not prove an issue for Minnesota if McCarthy can show that the mini-leap he took last week is the real deal over the final four games of the season and/or make another jump across the month of December. But the Vikings have reached a point due to McCarthy’s now extensive injury history, in combination with his often poor play, that they must consider all avenues to protect against the bottom falling out of another season.
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