Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the media on Tuesday at his season-ending press conference. Of course, he was asked about the quarterback position — an area that has remained unsettled since Sam Darnold departed last offseason.
O’Connell stressed that he wants a competitive situation to unfold in the offseason and in training camp.
“I absolutely want a competitive situation,” O’Connell said Tuesday. “What that looks like with the reps, I think it’s all predicated on — obviously, J.J. is going to be a major, major emphasis for our staff and our team and me personally. We’ll figure out what that looks like as we navigate, you know, the early part of this offseason when it comes to managing the roster, and I know Kwesi and his staff will do a great job of that.”
At this point, the Vikings have two passers under contract for the 2026 campaign: J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer. Carson Wentz, John Wolford, and Brett Rypien are scheduled to hit free agency in March.
Given McCarthy’s uneven 2025 season and availability concerns, having another starting-caliber signal-caller in the room makes sense. A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts signed Daniel Jones in free agency to pair him with Anthony Richardson, another frequently injured but talented quarterback with inconsistencies on the field. That worked well until Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stepped to the podium after O’Connell and he was asked about his young QB as well. Specifically, he was asked whether he wants McCarthy to be the starter in 2026:
“I want the Vikings to achieve our goals. And I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs. I think he has the character and ability to be the person to do that. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area. The way we’ve set this team up, we built this core like we’ve always talked about, [to] give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there’s going to be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open and you can make that run. Whether it’s this year or next year isn’t really my immediate reflection. It’s my job to really bring that deep competitive group that we’ve talked about.”
That was not a clear yes or no, but he also made sure to mention a “deep competitive group.” The buzzword competition has certainly been part of the internal discussions in the building.
The term “insurance” is often used when discussing Minnesota’s QB position. The Vikings need someone who can start over McCarthy if he doesn’t show the desired growth. For example, the Carolina Panthers promoted Andy Dalton into the starting lineup over former first overall pick Bryce Young in his second season. Of course, the Daniel Jones/Anthony Richardson situation would also fall into that category.
Furthermore, the Vikings need a safety net in case McCarthy suffers another injury. Bringing out Max Brosmer puts the organization’s goals at risk. A good example is the San Francisco 49ers, who protected themselves by signing Mac Jones as the backup quarterback, who kept their season alive while Brock Purdy was out for half the season with an injury. One could also point to Malik Willis in Green Bay.
Ultimately, it would be shocking to see the Vikings Moneyball the backup QB position in the upcoming months rather than investing draft capital or salary cap in a good QB2.
Daniel Jones is once again scheduled to hit free agency, but his Achilles injury might rule him out of the race in the Twin Cities, as the Vikings need someone physically present in July and August to challenge McCarthy.
Other candidates are Malik Willis, Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco, or Kenny Pickett. Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins and Mac Jones could emerge on the trade market, unless their franchises release them.
Expect there to be QB movement in the State of 10,000 Lakes.
#Vikings #Address #Plan
