Next QB? Look beyond the names you are hearing?
One veteran player hasn’t come up much in connection to the Vikings, but would fit their QB room perfectly.
The two most popular candidates to share the Vikings’ quarterback room with J.J. McCarthy are Mac Jones and Kirk Cousins. The Vikings might not be able to land either.
Jones is the backup with the San Francisco 49ers and is a favorite target of speculative Vikings fans.
But why would the 49ers, who have championship aspirations, and a starting quarterback who is frequently injured, trade their high-quality backup? And what would it cost if they did?
Cousins recently reworked his massive contract with the Atlanta Falcons so that he could become a free agent this summer. He would be ideal for the Vikings as someone who has succeeded in the Vikings’ system, but would he come back to Minnesota to back up a less-accomplished quarterback, and how much would the Vikings be willing to pay someone who might not see the field?
While Jones and Cousins will become the stars of Speculation Season, I think there are more logical targets out there.
McCarthy should be the Vikings’ starter entering 2026. But the Vikings can’t be assured he will stay healthy or keep the job. So what they need is someone who can win games if needed but not someone who will come to town with the expectation of starting.
This will require some needle-threading.
Let’s look at what they did last year.
They traded for Sam Howell, who failed almost immediately.
They picked up Carson Wentz as a “street” free agent, meaning he was sitting at home.
They tried Max Brosmer, who had played one year of major college football.
My suggestion: How about doing none of the above this offseason?
I think there is a sleeper candidate who is being overlooked.
He has not only played in a Super Bowl, he had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before Patrick Mahomes took over the game.
His postseason record is 4-2.
His career completion percentage is 67.4, better than Cousins’ 66.7 or Jones’ 66.5.
He has learned under two of the best offensive coaches in football in Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.
Because he plays for McVay, he is familiar with the offense run by Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.
This player has a far better résumé than Daniel Jones, Cousins or Sam Darnold did before those players arrived in Minnesota.
And because he’s been a backup the past two seasons, he’s healthy and couldn’t make realistic demands about being a starter.
He might also look at the Vikings’ current quarterback situation the way Jones looked at Indianapolis’ last offseason. Jones thought he could beat out young Anthony Richardson, and he was right.
Who am I talking about?
You’ve probably guessed by now: Jimmy Garoppolo.
The name might not excite you. I would encourage you to compare his résumé with every other attainable quarterback on the market.
Now, if Joe Burrow demands a trade from Cincinnati, he would become the subject of a bidding war, and the Vikings would probably at least try to acquire him.
But there is a problem with Burrow: He makes a massive amount of money. To acquire him would cost draft picks, players and funds, which would leave the Vikings in the same situation that Burrow is now trying to extricate himself from — a team that pays its skill-position players so much money that it can’t fund an offensive line or defense.
Garoppolo is on a one-year deal with the Rams. Unless Matthew Stafford retires and the Rams are willing to hand the job to Garoppolo, he will likely be looking for a place where he can make one more run as a starter.
With McCarthy and Garoppolo, the Vikings would have a talented youngster and an accomplished veteran in the room, with Brosmer as their developmental quarterback.
The Vikings could do a lot worse. We know, because they did a lot worse at the backup quarterback position this season.
credit: Souhan/Strib
#Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell on needing competition in that QB room:
— Will Hall (@WillHallKARE11) January 13, 2026
"I think there has to be. I think that's what's going to make everybody better in that room."
That point was reiterated quite a bit today:
"I absolutely want a competitive situation." pic.twitter.com/a90d83G87Q
I think it's more than a wink at this point. I think they were pretty transparent in retrospect and after I got to sleeping on it.
I want JJM to be our franchise QB. I want to buy a JJM jersey to hang next to my Page 88. But he hasn't cemented himself as there yet
He hasn't proven himself reliable enough (yet) for an NFL team not to have legit, starting options
If it were my team? Yah, I would bring in competition to better the position depth and save a season if necessary.
Too much at stake and we cant have a repeat of 25 in 2026.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
The obvious problem with Garappolo and Richardson is they are just as injury-prone as McCarthy. I don't know how much you factor that in when making the decision because you'd hate to sign a lesser player on the off-chance possibility of an injury. However, those guys have missed a lottttt of time.
I still see a world where the team manages to secure an upgrade somehow (Jalen Hurts?). But en lieu of that, I have no clue where they'll turn. I'm less interested in an open competition than in seeing JJM ascend the throne, but it does seem like the team is leaning towards a true competition. I'm surprised.
pattersaur wrote:
I have no clue where they'll turn. I'm less interested in an open competition than in seeing JJM ascend the throne, but it does seem like the team is leaning towards a true competition. I'm surprised.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
StickierBuns wrote:
Honestly, I think KOC still really likes JJM....he's got just about everything he's looking for, its in his DNA...but he can't trust him blindly anymore. So he'll bring someone in, they'll compete, and the whole organization will be watching, including ownership. But this is what JJ does, rise to the occasion. I'm very confident he comes out QB1 in any competition, legit or lesser so. He's got that elusive upside.
He's going to be a much better QB in 2026. MUCH. JMO.
I think there's a good chance you're right. And I know he's going to work his ass off this spring and summer to improve and win the QB1 job. But there's also a chance that he doesn't improve, and ownership, leadership, coaching, marketing just can't take the chance of 2025 repeating itself in 2026. In the immortal words of George W. Bush, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...we can't get fooled again.
MaroonBells wrote:
I think there's a good chance you're right. And I know he's going to work his ass off this spring and summer to improve and win the QB1 job. But there's also a chance that he doesn't improve, and ownership, leadership, coaching, marketing just can't take the chance of 2025 repeating itself in 2026. In the immortal words of George W. Bush, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...we can't get fooled again.
Ha!
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
purplefaithful wrote:
For the love of God...no...
purplefaithful wrote:
Out of all the different options available to us, the Rodgers option is a strong one and checks all the boxes. OConnell wants a veteran to come in, run his offense, and not get him fired in the process. McCarthy is injury prone, erratic, and we just don't know anything about him at this point. Rodgers gives OConnell an "out" for a season without totally giving up on McCarthy, who has a full offseason to recover, get stronger, and learn without rehabbing a major injury.
The only thing that would give me some pause is, what happened this last offseason with the whole Rodgers situation? He was told "no" then, but why?
supafreak84 wrote:
Out of all the different options available to us, the Rodgers option is a strong one and checks all the boxes. OConnell wants a veteran to come in, run his offense, and not get him fired in the process. McCarthy is injury prone, erratic, and we just don't know anything about him at this point. Rodgers gives OConnell an "out" for a season without totally giving up on McCarthy, who has a full offseason to recover, get stronger, and learn without rehabbing a major injury.The only thing that would give me some pause is, what happened this last offseason with the whole Rodgers situation? He was told "no" then, but why?
Agree with your first paragraph. I've been saying this for a while now. If Rodgers wants to play another year, then he makes perfect sense for the Vikings. Contrary to what some believe, signing old man Rodgers would actually tell McCarthy they believe he has a future, whereas signing younger options (Mac Jones, Levis, Richardson, Willis) would suggest the opposite.
I think the reason the Vikings said no to him last year is the same reason most of us were against it: He's a dick; he didn't play that well the year before; Vikings had a QB on a rookie deal going into his 2nd season in the offense. It was time to get the kid some snaps. That it didn't work out does not make it the wrong decision. How might JJ have progressed if he didn't get hurt? We'll never know.
The truly "bad" decision was Sam Howell.
Greylock wrote:
Rodgers does too much stuff off script that would blow KOC's mind.
Maybe. I think O'Connell is going to have a hard time finding a viable veteran option that checks everything he wants. We've talked about Cousins, but that seems completely preposterous especially with Penix rehabbing another knee injury and probably wouldn't be ready until mid-season anyways. Who else are you going to grab in free agency that checks all the boxes he wants, with the most important being a viable starting option that can win games and function at a high level in the chuck and duck offense? This whole quarterback problem is a major fuckup with no real good solutions. I don't know how much is being dictated by the front office or ownership, but they've screwed this up about as bad as they possibly could. If the best we are mustering is Jimmy G or Mariota, we are going to be in trouble. At the very least Rodgers gives me some confidence we can get mid to upper tier quarterback play that can win games without giving up on McCarthy
MaroonBells wrote:
Agree with your first paragraph. I've been saying this for a while now. If Rodgers wants to play another year, then he makes perfect sense for the Vikings. Contrary to what some believe, signing old man Rodgers would actually tell McCarthy they believe he has a future, whereas signing younger options (Mac Jones, Levis, Richardson, Willis) would suggest the opposite.
I think the reason the Vikings said no to him last year is the same reason most of us were against it: He's a dick; he didn't play that well the year before; Vikings had a QB on a rookie deal going into his 2nd season in the offense. It was time to get the kid some snaps. That it didn't work out does not make it the wrong decision. How might JJ have progressed if he didn't get hurt? We'll never know.
The truly "bad" decision was Sam Howell.
Howell was a terrible decision...I know you've been pimping Rogers a while now, I wasn't there a mos ago, but Ive come around after watching some Steeler games.
I have no idea if he wants to play anymore, let alone where? Let alone with whomever the Steelers are going to backfill Tomlin with? Will that person even what him back?
I suspect we could have added 2-3 more wins on a 9/8 year if he was healthy and at the helm, maybe more.
==============================================================
Monday’s playoff game between the Steelers and Texans still hung in the balance in the fourth quarter when Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-12 from his own 43.
A brutal pass rush built on both speed and power overtook Rodgers on the play, causing a strip sack and fumble return for a touchdown that turned a four-point game into a 17-6 Texans lead.
It was the kind of hit that might make any sane person, let alone a 42-year-old quarterback, decide to never play football again.
Longtime analyst Troy Aikman, who knows a thing or two about the position, said during the action, “I think we are watching Aaron Rodgers’ last game.”
But in the aftermath of Monday’s loss, with a final score that swelled to 30-6 after a pick-six on Rodgers’ final throw of the season and possibly career, Rodgers was non-committal about his future.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I’m disappointed. It was such a fun year. Obviously, a lot of adversity, but a lot of fun.”
We need to start with an obvious question: If Rodgers, who is a free agent, eventually decides he wants to play another year would it make sense for the Vikings to be in the mix? We know that he was interested in playing for Minnesota in 2025 but that the Vikings opted to put their full trust in J.J. McCarthy.
In hindsight, that might have seemed wise for the Vikings to sign Rodgers to play in 2025. But they also knew they needed more information on and reps for McCarthy. Plus they were coming off a 14-3 season. At this point in his career, Rodgers is not playing like an elite QB who would take a team to the Super Bowl. He probably wasn’t the right fit for 2025, even if he might have lifted the Vikings into the playoffs.
To me, though, it might make more sense in 2026. While it feels more likely that the Vikings would bolster their QB room with someone who could compete with McCarthy for the starting job and not displace him for a year, the Vikings could also decide that McCarthy is young and raw enough that he needs a full year of refinement behind the scenes.
If that’s the case ... and Rodgers wants to play another year ... and still likes the idea of coming to Minnesota ... it could be a fit. He’s started all but one game in the last two seasons and put up decent numbers (52 TDs and 18 INTs over 33 regular-season games with the Jets in 2024 and Steelers this year). He’s been a decent veteran QB, which sounds a lot better after enduring the Vikings’ 2025 season than it might have sounded going into 2025.
Ultimately, it will come down to what Rodgers wants to do and how the Vikings plan to approach 2026. But one thing has been true with Rodgers for years: Whenever you think it’s over, it’s usually just beginning.
Monday’s game was also very likely the final game of Adam Thielen’s career. The longtime Vikings receiver came back here in 2025 for an unsuccessful reunion before being granted his release and signing with the Steelers after Minnesota fell out of playoff contention. Thielen caught both of his targets for 25 yards total in Monday’s loss after catching 11 passes for 117 yards in five regular-season games with the Steelers.
Strib
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
purplefaithful wrote:
Howell was a terrible decision...I know you've been pimping Rogers a while now, I wasn't there a mos ago, but Ive come around after watching some Steeler games.
I have no idea if he wants to play anymore, let alone where?
I suspect we could have added 2-3 more wins on a 9/8 year if he was at the helm, maybe more.
But look at where that got Pittsburgh. 1 and done with a poor performance from Rodgers against a tough D. Is he still a solid QB. This season he was. But he's not anywhere near the MVP he was 4 years ago. And at 42, he's 6 ft from the edge of falling off that cliff.
I think the Vikings need to find a viable backup and see how JJ McCarthy develops in 2026. We need to know if he's the guy or not. We can't sit him for another year and then start him in Year 4. This team will look completely different next season and even more different two years from now.
MAD GAINZ wrote:
I think the Vikings need to find a viable backup and see how JJ McCarthy develops in 2026. We need to know if he's the guy or not. We can't sit him for another year and then start him in Year 4. This team will look completely different next season and even more different two years from now.
I think that is what they will do. However, they will need to be relatively certain the back up QB they bring in will be good enough to push JJ for the starting job and competent to take over if JJ plays poorly or gets injured.
Many of the qb names I am hearing like Richardson, Levis, and others, could very well result in having 2 bad QB's instead of one!
I think Willis would be the exception, but would be hard to get.
The worst case scenario is JJ doesn't improve or is injured again, the backup doesn't play well, in combination with Flores leaving and Harry retiring; because nobody will get out of these players what Flores did and Harry made a lot of calls on the field.
That will get everyone fired.
The decision at QB is critical. I think Flores will get hired elsewhere.
purplefaithful wrote:
Howell was a terrible decision...I know you've been pimping Rogers a while now, I wasn't there a mos ago, but Ive come around after watching some Steeler games.
I have no idea if he wants to play anymore, let alone where? Let alone with whomever the Steelers are going to backfill Tomlin with? Will that person even what him back?
I suspect we could have added 2-3 more wins on a 9/8 year if he was healthy and at the helm, maybe more.
Hell, I wasn't even there months ago. And I wasn't there last year either. I agreed with the decision to give JJ the nod. The only thing I didn't like was Sam Howell. I even predicted last summer that he would not be our QB2 when all was said and done.
I came around to Rodgers in December when I realized that with just average QB play this team is certainly in the playoffs and maybe even winning 13 or 14 games. I'm 100% convinced Rodgers would've given us at least that.
I'm not saying he's the perfect choice. I hate the man. He has problems. We went over them all last year, and those things are still true. But there just isn't a perfect candidate out there. There are a few younger options that would be very intriguing. But I can't help but think that would be a big slap in the face to JJ McCarthy. Hell, I don't know. Maybe he needs that.
Either way, he's another year older and he may or may not want to play another year. But I think if he does, and it comes down to the Steelers and us, or hell, ANYONE and us, Rodgers is going to choose the Vikings. I really do believe the reports that said he really REALLY wanted to play in this offense. Remember, he only signed with Pittsburgh after his conversations with the Vikings ended.
MAD GAINZ wrote:
But look at where that got Pittsburgh. 1 and done with a poor performance from Rodgers against a tough D. Is he still a solid QB. This season he was. But he's not anywhere near the MVP he was 4 years ago. And at 42, he's 6 ft from the edge of falling off that cliff.
I think the Vikings need to find a viable backup and see how JJ McCarthy develops in 2026. We need to know if he's the guy or not. We can't sit him for another year and then start him in Year 4. This team will look completely different next season and even more different two years from now.
Yeah, for me the JJM injury stuff is a huge problem and the Vikings need a much better Plan B this season. But solely based off his play, and how it improved as the season went along, I want him as QB1.
Bringing in Rodgers to be the starter with a tentative plan to go back to JJM the following season is wild to me. Either they believe in McCarthy or they don't. Another year of hemming and hawing with McCarthy tells me that almost no matter what happens, he was a bad pick for us at #10 overall. I'd much rather watch the kid play through it (if he can stay on the field) than see Rodgers and Valdez Scantling and Lazard padding their stats here next year. Do fans seriously want that? Ick
StickierBuns wrote:
They'll bring in some QB for 'competition',
Yup. And it won't be tired old Aaron Rodgers, that guy is cooked. Not to mention he wouldn't in a million years be signed to "compete", he'd be the starter effectively ending JJM's purple career. JJM would be traded or released.
Aaron's game is mostly dink and dunk now and he bails on plays at the first hint of getting hit, and that's not what big game explosives hunter KOC wants to do. He needs a guy to stand in there at the back of the 7 step drop and wait wait wait for the long developing bombs away stuff to come open. Rodgers would be dead before week 5 trying to do that, carted out on a stretcher never to be seen again. Before he'd let that happen it would devolve into what it's been for him elsewhere the last few years--coach calls play, Aaron calls different play. What can coach do about it? Nothing.
Competition is just cover-your-ass for the guys at TCO. "We need competition." Right. Because identifying a starter is just some FAFO exercise in the NFL that no team ever does. Teams sign a guy or spend draft capital or both and then work like hell to make that guy the man. JJM this year is a case in point. If you have to have a bunch of washouts or unknowns battle each other in camp to decide who starts you are starting way behind any other team in the qb department. It's like saying what's the route we want to take to 6-11 this year? Taking JJM's 2026 camp reps away from him for a competitor is basically saying game over for JJM in purple.
Not to mention that KAM/KOC planned this whole thing, ejected Darnold, miscalculated badly on Jones, then Howell, then had to go with bottom of the barrel Wentz at backup, and ran with JJM as #1 this year while getting the Wilfs to spend more than any other team in football to build what they thought would be a contender. It's kinda early to just say "Oh, Mr. Wilf, that shit didn't work so now we're on to Mac Jones! Or how do you feel about back to the future of Kirk Cousins? Excited?!"
Edit Post (mod action — author will see a notice)
Warn Poster
Suspend User (3 days)
The user will be suspended for 3 days and will receive an email with the reason and information about how to appeal.