The Minnesota Vikings are out of playoff contention this season, as their gamble on J.J. McCarthy suffered a major setback. While that doesn’t signal the end for McCarthy in Minnesota, the team could explore adding a quarterback to compete for the starting role.
McCarthy is returning under center after missing the Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with a concussion. With only a few games remaining in the 2025 NFL season, both he and the Vikings are facing a harsh reality about the quarterback position heading into the offseason.
John Middlekauff of The Volume noted that unless McCarthy finishes this campaign on a high note, Minnesota are going to find itself in no-man’s land.
“I think anytime you’re in that situation, it’s a scary place to be,” Middlekauff said on “3 & OUT with John Middlekauff” in a video published on December 6. “You know what these guys are hoping? It’s like, he’ll just figure it out, as crazy as that sounds, which is not going to happen. But at this point in time, with whatever five games left, you’re just praying: could he just rattle off three good games and just shut everybody up?
“I don’t even think they can contemplate what their options are. [The Vikings] can’t draft another quarterback high. Even the good options, like Mac Jones, would be an okay option, but he’s not even available. They’re in a tough spot. If you lose to the Commanders and he looks terrible against that defense, I just think Viking fans will be over him.”
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Needs to End 2025 on a Positive Note
Middlekauff isn’t the only one believing that McCarthy needs to end the 2025 season on a positive note. On the December 4 edition of “First Things First,” co-host Chris Broussard stated what he wants to see from the Vikings quarterback in the last five games.
“J.J., the rest of this season, you have got to prove that you are the man,” Broussard said. “That’s all it’s about. It’s similar to Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland. This season is done as far as the playoffs. It’s about you showing Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings that you are their future franchise quarterback.
“Otherwise, is it off the board that Daniel Jones will be a free agent? Is it off the board that they make a lucrative offer to Daniel Jones? I don’t think it’s off the board.
“If J.J. struggles the rest of the season, they may go out—whether it’s Daniel Jones or Mac Jones—and try to make a trade for him or something like that. You could be in Zach Wilson territory if you don’t produce the rest of this season. J.J., I’m pulling for you. I am actually pulling for you.”
The Vikings Should Target Mac Jones
Although Middlekauff doesn’t see the Vikings trading for the San Francisco 49ers’ Mac Jones, FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd believes that the backup quarterback can be available for the right price.
“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.”
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