The Minnesota Vikings are potentially on the cusp of making a seismic move at the game’s most important position.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN on Thursday, December 4 named quarterback JJ McCarthy as one of the NFL players with the most to gain or lose over the last five games of the regular season, despite the Vikings being all but out of the playoff race in the NFC after just 12 games.
Barnwell said that before the year began, he believed a bad campaign from McCarthy might mean competing with a veteran signal-caller during the 2026 preseason. Barnwell said Thursday that fighting with an established player for the QB1 role in Minnesota in 2026 may now be the best McCarthy can possibly hope for.
“By era-adjusted passer rating index, McCarthy’s 2025 season is the fourth worst in NFL history by a quarterback with 150 pass attempts or more,” Barnwell wrote. “If McCarthy returns from his concussion and shows signs of growth over the final month of the season, the Vikings should field competition for their starting job in camp next year. If he continues to look overmatched upon his return to the lineup, though, the Vikings might move forward with a new plan at quarterback, consigning McCarthy to a backup role after just a handful of pro starts.”
Max Brosmer Had Disastrous Outing in First Start for Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer.
The two factors in McCarthy’s favor are that the Vikings have no one else in the pipeline right now to challenge him after undrafted rookie Max Brosmer chucked four interceptions to the Seattle Seahawks in a 26-0 loss over the weekend while McCarthy watched from the sidelines with a concussion, and there isn’t going to be a particularly strong free-agent market at the position next spring.
Daniel Jones, who Minnesota let walk to the Indianapolis Colts, is the highest-profile name headed to the open market in 2026. Potential reclamation projects like Kenny Pickett will also be available.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell rehabbed Sam Darnold’s career, which means Pickett could prove a viable option. Jones is likely to cost more money than the Vikings are willing to spend, however, given his 8-4 start and the fairly good chance the Colts have at making the playoffs.
Vikings May Need to Explore Trade for QB Like Mac Jones During Offseason
GettySan Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
Another option for Minnesota is the draft, though the team wouldn’t pick until No. 11 if the league held the proceedings today, and that isn’t going to be high enough for a top prospect, even in a relatively deep class at the position.
That pretty much just leaves the trade market, and there are two names that stand out: Anthony Richardson of the Colts and Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers. Both are under contract through 2026 at reasonable numbers, but the Vikings aren’t likely to acquire either for less than a third-round draft asset.
Both Jones and Richardson are former first-round picks, though Jones has shown real growth this season in San Francisco while Richardson has yet to prove much of anything on the field.
Regardless of the limited options, Minnesota is likely to add another QB or two to the mix come 2026. Though if McCarthy finds his way to the bench after just 11 starts, which is how many he will have under his belt if he starts the final five games of this season, that begs the question of job security for O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who both bet big on McCarthy and will be admitting defeat just two years into the experiment.
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