Four Veteran QBs Vikings Should Consider This Offseason to Compete With J.J. McCarthy

The Vikings want to add a veteran quarterback to the roster for the 2026 season.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to be traded or released this offseason, so could he end up in Minnesota? | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Vikings are looking to establish a new quarterback room for the 2026 season.

The 2025 campaign was a bit of an experimental year at quarterback. Minnesota was coming off a strong ‘24 season with Sam Darnold unexpectedly leading the team to a 14–3 record and a playoff berth after J.J. McCarthy, the team’s first-round draft pick that year, was out with injury. McCarthy was set to be the starter for the entire 2025 season, but he missed chunks of time with injuries again. Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz stepped in when needed, going 2-3, but then suffered a season-ending injury of his own. McCarthy returned from injury to finish out the season, which the Vikings ended with a 9-8 record to miss the playoffs.

This offseason, the Vikings are reportedly looking to add a veteran quarterback to the roster to potentially compete with McCarthy for the starting job.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Quarterback Carousel Preview: 24 Players Worth Monitoring

So, who could the veteran addition be? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on four names he heard circulating at the NFL combine. Here’s a look at how each of those quarterbacks would make sense in Minnesota.

Kyler Murray

The Cardinals quarterback is highly believed to be a trade candidate this offseason. New Arizona coach Mike LaFleur hasn’t given a solid answer about Murray’s future on the team, so the possibility of the quarterback leaving is still out there. LaFleur could want to start completely fresh as something obviously isn’t working with Murray in Arizona after seven seasons.

Murray would need to be traded or released to land in Minnesota as he signed an extension through 2028 with the Cardinals back in ‘22. While this move seems imminent, we’ll see if Minnesota is where Murray ends up.

Geno Smith

The Geno Smith–Pete Carroll experiment in Las Vegas didn’t work out, at all. The Raiders went 3–14 and ended up receiving the 2026 No. 1 draft pick. The organization fired Carroll after just one year, and it’s expected that Smith will get the boot next, especially since the team will likely draft Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.

Although Smith didn’t find success in Las Vegas, he isn't far removed from a successful stint with the Seahawks when he was named a Pro Bowler in 2022 and '23. Maybe landing in Minnesota would reignite that flame for him.

Smith is under contract with the Raiders for the 2026 season, so he would need to be traded or released to go to the Vikings.

Tua Tagovailoa

Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan recently said “everything is on the table” when it comes to Tagovailoa’s future. Miami is open to trading the quarterback, essentially. And, Tagovailoa himself seems to be O.K. with a potential change of scenery coming his way.

Tagovailoa’s played all of his six NFL seasons with the Dolphins, so it would definitely be an adjustment for him to start somewhere fresh. But, it’s a challenge he will likely face for the 2026 season, whether he ends up in Minnesota or elsewhere.

Kirk Cousins

The Vikings could consider a reunion with Cousins this offseason. Cousins played for the Vikings from 2018 to ’23 before signing a massive four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons, which turned out to be a total bust for them. After two seasons, a majority of which Cousins spent on the bench behind 2024 draftee Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta is expected to move on from the veteran.

Cousins is expected to become a free agent soon as the Falcons reportedly intend to release him. It would be storybook for him to return to the team where he started 88 games from 2018 to ‘23. But Minnesota might look elsewhere based on the struggles he’s had the past two seasons in Atlanta. They might want a stronger option than what Cousins can provide now.

---