The Minnesota Vikings won’t be heading to the postseason, and part of the reason was their play at quarterback. It was a rollercoaster ride for J.J. McCarthy, who had to deal with ups and downs as a first-year starter and multiple injuries.
In Year 1 as the starter, McCarthy has a passer rating of 71.2 with 1,450 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in nine games this season as the Vikings enter the last game of the season against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18.
As a result, Minnesota understands it needs another quarterback after getting mixed results this season after handing the job to McCarthy. On January 3, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported what the Vikings intend to do at QB this offseason.
“Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will return to the Minnesota Vikings next season, but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be the starter,” Russini wrote.
“The Vikings were looking for emphatic proof this season that he’s the long-term answer, and because of a series of injuries, they never got it. Over the next few months, sources say, Minnesota plans to explore established options via trade or free agency to strengthen its quarterback room.”
Vikings Aren’t Giving Up on J.J. McCarthy
Moreover, Russini notes that despite the rocky experience with McCarthy as a first-year starter, the Vikings’ current regime still has confidence in their former first-round pick.
As a result, it might appear that Minnesota look for a reliable backup, probably one with no significant injury history, so as not to repeat the Carson Wentz situation and not turn to rookie backup Max Brosmer.
“Though Minnesota is open to bringing in veteran competition for the 22-year-old, O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have no plans to move on from the quarterback they traded up to draft less than two years ago,” Russini added.
“McCarthy’s continued development will be a central storyline for the Vikings as they enter an offseason filled with questions surrounding their aging and expensive roster.”
Justin Jefferson Talks J.J. McCarthy as Vikings QB in 2026
McCarthy’s future as the Vikings’ starting QB was brought up this week, heading into the final game of the 2025 NFL season. Justin Jefferson spoke to the media and shared his take on whether McCarthy can lead them back to the playoffs in 2026.
“I would love for him to be here,” Jefferson said on January 1 about McCarthy being the team’s starter next season. “Of course, I would love for him to be the quarterback, especially off of this year. I feel like he needs to show everybody and prove to everybody that he is that top-tier quarterback.
“I would love to have him, and I love to work with him and show everybody he is that number one guy. But I feel like it starts in the offseason, starts that offseason work and building that connection, eliminating those habits that he had that we felt hindered him throughout the season.
“Just working on those little bitty pits of his game. But he’s still young. He still has learning to do and growing to do. That’s all part of the game. But it’s up to me to require more from him and to work with him more.”
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