Breaking down the Vikings' 3 broad offseason options at quarterback

Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are clearly aware that quarterback play was the Vikings' undoing in 2026. They were good enough on defense to be a playoff team, but their offense — and specifically their passing game — didn't get the job done. As a result, some sort of upgrade is coming to the QB room this year, and J.J. McCarthy isn't just going to be handed the starting job again.

How exactly might the Vikings go about improving that room? Broadly speaking, there are three potential paths they could follow. One seems far more likely than the other two, but none can be ruled out entirely. Here are those three, ranked in order of likelihood.

1. Bring in a solid veteran to compete with McCarthy

This is the simplest and most likely route. The Vikings still have belief in McCarthy, who turns 23 next month and has only made 10 career starts. He showed plenty of flashes this season when healthy, particularly later in the season. McCarthy should also benefit from having his first full offseason where he doesn't need to rehab an injury.

At the same time, given the combination of injury issues and extremely concerning first-year production, there's no way McCarthy can be considered the unquestioned starter heading into 2026. The Vikings need to bring in a starting-caliber quarterback who can legitimately compete for the job. If McCarthy beats that person out, that would be encouraging for his third-year outlook, and the Vikings would then have a solid backup ready to go. If he doesn't, maybe the veteran would be good enough to get Minnesota to the playoffs.

Some free agents or trade targets who could make sense in this category include Mac Jones, Kirk Cousins, Malik Willis, Geno Smith, Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, and yes, maybe even 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers.

2. Take a huge swing on an established star

This one is less likely for a couple obvious reasons. There aren't that many quarterbacks in the league who are proven stars, so the teams that have one generally don't have any incentive to give that player up. And if they do become available for whatever reason, the price to acquire them is very high, both in terms of trade compensation and the contract a team would be taking on.

But if the Vikings have a chance to go all-in on a great quarterback this offseason, whatever price they'd have to pay might just be worth it. This regime, which doesn't have a playoff win in four years, knows it has to get the QB position right. And while McCarthy has upside, he also has a very low floor. The quickest way to ensure that the Vikings are legitimate contenders in 2026 would be to go out and get a star.

The two players who stand out most here are Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. There are rumblings around both AFC North superstars not being fully happy in their current situations. It's a major longshot, but imagine a Vikings offense led by either of those players. Justin Herbert and (to a much lesser extent) Kyler Murray are two other names who could qualify for this category.

“I could not find anyone to tell me that they definitely don’t want to pursue a Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson or whoever else might shake loose in terms of a guy that would absolutely come in here as the unquestioned starter.”@SeifertESPN via @KFAN1003 pic.twitter.com/yCIlEmCHyl
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) January 15, 2026

3. Draft another quarterback early

This one doesn't feel very likely either. The Vikings already have a developing young quarterback in McCarthy, so what good would it really do to add another one to the mix? It feels more sensible to pair him with a higher-floor veteran.

Still, let me quickly make the case for this option. The most valuable commodity in the NFL is a good quarterback on a rookie contract. That's why the Vikings took McCarthy tenth overall a couple years ago. But his numbers were so poor in his debut season that there's a very real chance he simply isn't going to be the answer. So why not try again? Drafting another quarterback early would give the Vikings two young players with a chance to develop into their long-term franchise guy.

There are all kinds of issues with this idea. With two young QBs in the room, the floor isn't there for a team that needs to win in 2026. Drafting a QB in the first round would mean passing up on addressing other issues on the roster. And this year's quarterback class looks rather weak after No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, especially with Dante Moore returning to Oregon. You're talking about guys like Ty Simpson, Trinidad Chambliss, and Carson Beck as the theoretical options at No. 18 overall.

Trinidad Chambliss | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Nothing is completely off the table, but it would be very surprising if this route is the answer.

1. Bring in a solid veteran to compete with McCarthy

2. Take a huge swing on an established star

3. Draft another quarterback early

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