Vikings GM Didn’t Have the Most Ringing of Endorsements for J.J. McCarthy

Minnesota's GM lays out vision for 2026.

J.J. McCarthy will look to make a leap in his third NFL season. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

J.J. McCarthy's first two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings have not gone to plan. Numerous injuries have kept him off the field and the young quarterback has shown signs of some traditional growing pains as he acclimates to the position. He'll have a chance to establish himself as the franchise player the organization hoped they were getting in his third year—but that opportunity will not be handed to him as the Vikings intend to bring in some competition for the Michigan product to deliver against.

Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked if he wants McCarthy to be the starter in 2026 during his media availability on Tuesday. And the answer he offered was not the most forceful "yes."

Kwesi answers if he wants JJ McCarthy as the Vikings starter in 2026…. pic.twitter.com/Wa4OSCmAu7

— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) January 13, 2026

"I want the Vikings to achieve our goals, and I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs," Adofo-Mensah said. "The way we've set this team up, we've built this core to really, like we've always talked about, 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. And so that's what we're really focused on, talking about whether it's this year or next year isn't really my immediate reflection. It's my job to really bring that deep competitive room that we've talked about to the Vikings."

It's not the answer McCarthy might want to hear. Or maybe it is as it'll light a fire under his feet to take a big step. Which he'll need to do because game-managing to a 6-4 record while throwing more interceptions than touchdowns does not seem to be a sustainable recipe. At the very least, it's not what any club wants from a top-10 pick.

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