The Minnesota Vikings‘ decision to go all in with J.J. McCarthy for this 2025 NFL season hasn’t gone as planned. Along with his inconsistency and struggles at the quarterback position, McCarthy has also dealt with two injuries this campaign.
As a result, all eyes will be on what the Vikings will do this offseason and what type of quarterback they’ll bring in to compete with McCarthy for the starting job.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd doesn’t believe Minnesota should sign a free agent signal-caller, but use their draft capital to trade for a name that’s been in the rumor mill over the last few days: San Francisco 49ers’ Mac Jones.
“I would go get Mac Jones,” Cowherd said in a December 2 video from “The Colin Cowherd Podcast.” “You won’t have to give up a first-round pick because you do have to pay him a little bit. But if you’re Minnesota, you can’t go through this again.”
Moreover, Jones isn’t a player that the NFL national media are floating out as a potential fit for Minnesota; the team itself sees the player as an ideal trade target.
On November 19, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio reported that there’s already talk in some circles that the Vikings will explore trading for Jones in the upcoming offseason.
Minnesota Cannot Afford to Waste Its Team’s Window
Furthermore, Cowherd believes that Minnesota have a team whose window to contend is now, which is why a trade for Jones makes sense.
“You have too good of players: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison,“ Cowherd added. “You have a left tackle that’s already had a major injury. How long are you going to be able to keep Brian Flores if you’re Minnesota? I’m watching today, and I’m like J.J. McCarthy—forget the inefficiency—he can’t stay healthy. You have to go get somebody. I would go get Mac Jones.
“Call Kyle Shanahan. You’re going to have to give up probably a second-round pick, but you can keep your first. I look at what Minnesota’s doing, and I know Kevin O’Connell, Sean McVay, Sean Payton—they’re not the [Pittsburgh] Steelers. They’re just not going to wait until July to figure out their quarterback situation.”
The Vikings Are an Ideal Fit for Mac Jones
Meanwhile, Cowherd isn’t the only NFL national media member suggesting the Vikings pursue Jones. ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky is urging Minnesota to pursue two names to improve the position and keep star wideout Justin Jefferson happy.
“The likeliest way that I think [the Vikings] can keep [Jefferson], at least, or make him happy is Daniel Jones or Mac Jones,“ Orlovsky said on the December 1 edition of “Get Up.” “That’s really the future in Minnesota. I think they’re going to have to bring some high-end competition in for J.J. McCarthy.
“The free-agent market is not going to be great. Daniel Jones will be a free agent. Mac Jones, I believe, is under contract for San Francisco, but could he be a trade target? The draft is not going to be great, and you’re not drafting a kid to bring in with J.J. McCarthy because then there’s two unproven young players. In relation to Justin, does Mac Jones get you happy? Does Daniel Jones get you happy?”
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