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The Minnesota Vikings have to make a big decision about the quarterback position this offseason. After missing the whole rookie season because of injury, J.J McCarthy failed to create an impact during the 2025 season, once again struggling with injuries that restricted him to just 10 starts.
Will Minnesota Vikings give up on J.J. McCarthy?
The Vikings are expected to acquire a new quarterback through trade or free agency when the new season starts. Veterans like Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr, who will be coming out of retirement, have been rumored to join the team. However, John Randle is not welcoming those names.
“I'm not a big fan of Derek Carr,” Randle told SKORNorth on . “I'm sorry. He retired, or he said he wanted to come back and he retired on the guys. It's like the Kirk Cousin talk, about Kirk Cousin coming back. I'm like, ‘Dude, we've been down that road. No, we want to move on from you.’
“You're trying to say the right things, but you're not bringing in the right things. You have maybe one playoff game. I want more. And if it's finding a quarterback, maybe he's not that great of a quarterback, but a guy who can manage the offense. But we want somebody who can do that.”
There is a opinion around the league that it is too soon for the Minnesota Viking to give up hopes on J.J. McCarthy. This makes getting a veteran on a short term deal and let's McCarthy develop a good option. However, Randle is aiming to see the win immediately after the 2025 disappointment.
Analyst expects arrival of a new quarterback in the Minnesota Vikings
Backing J.J. McCarthy for one more season or bringing Ing in an experienced quarterback now seems to be the two different options for the Minnesota Vikings. However, the team's stance is still not clear, ESPN's Kevin Seifert expects the Vikings to sign a new quarterback this offseason.
“In the big picture, McCarthy is a talented player who just turned 23 and has a total of 10 NFL starts,” Seifert wrote. Few NFL teams would give up on a quarterback with that profile, and many team builders are particularly enamored with optimizing a quarterback’s rookie contract.
“Adofo-Mensah was one of them, but his departure is a reminder of the range of outcomes that approach can lead to. If anything, these events increase the chances that the Vikings will take a big swing at finding a veteran quarterback who could start in 2026.”
Other than Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr, a number of other names have been linked to the Minnesota Vikings in trade and free agency. This consists of Geno Smith, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Malik Willis and a couple of others. There is a lot of anticipation about what their decision will be.
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