If Vikings Don't Go 'Lower' Than Mac Jones, These QBs Would Be Ruled Out

If there is a bar that needs to be cleared, these four names should be ruled out immediately.

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up prior to the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Vikings have a quarterback conundrum to solve this offseason. That's not breaking news. Minnesota's front office made it clear at their end-of-season press conference that they intend to go out and bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy after the former top 10 pick struggled in 2025. How exactly they'll go about doing so this spring has been widely debated.

On a recent episode of his podcast, The Athletic's Alec Lewis speculated that the Vikings have a certain level they won't go below when targeting a veteran quarterback.

"It's hard for me to imagine that the Vikings would dip lower, with whoever they target via trade or free agency, than a Mac Jones-type level," said Lewis.

Lewis went on to state that he thinks Minnesota should look to bring in a quarterback that could give them, at bare minimum, top-20 level play. So, who does that exclude from the potential targets this offseason? Let's dive in.

Let's get this one out of the way immediately. There is sure to be another spring and summer full of rumors linking Rodgers with the Vikings again. But at 42, the future Hall of Famer is well past his prime and showed it this season. Rodgers had one of the lowest Average Depth of Targets (ADoT) in the league last season at 6.6, while his 44.3 QBR was 30th in the league. For comparison, Mac Jones had an ADoT of 7.7, which was slightly below Bo Nix's 8.0, and his 62.9 QBR ranked 10th in the league. Rodgers still limited interceptions (7), but just wasn't able to push the ball down the field to the level you would need from a QB to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Injuries and interceptions have taken away the magic that Tua had when he was throwing for 4600 yards and leading the Dolphins to an 11-6 record in 2023. He had weapons and a good play-caller the past couple of seasons but still struggled. There's no reason to think Tagovailoa can return to the form that helped him steer one of the most must-watch offenses in the league a couple seasons ago.

The biggest arguement against Geno Smith isn't that he quarterbacked the worst team in the league this season. No, it's that Sam Darnold is taking essentially the same team Geno had in 2024 to the NFC Championship game this season, and he couldn't get them in the playoffs the year before. Seattle had a point differential of +7 in 2024 with Smith. In 2025, they improved that to +191, the best in the league. Smith is still an overall accurate thrower (67.4 completion percentage in 2025) but he gives the ball away too often, throwing double-digit interceptions in three of the past four seasons. Meanwhile, his 58.2 PFF passer rating was among the lowest in the league this season.

Mariota, 32, is set to become a free agent this offseason and could be seen as a bargain bin option. However, he should be seen as a veteran option of last resort for the Vikings. Throughout his career, the former No. 2 overall pick has shown an inability to consistently lead productive offenses. He completed just 61.2 percent of his passes this season in Washington.

Other options to rule out

A few other options that will certainly get thrown out are veteran journeymen like Jameis Winston and Jacoby Brissett. Neither of those inspires confidence that they could steer a roster ready-made to compete. Another popular name being thrown out recently has been Eagles backup Tanner McKee. While he would be a cheap, young option, the Vikings would still have to give up assets to acquire him from Philadelphia. If Minnesota is giving up assets, they would be better doing it for a quarterback like Jones, who has had plenty of starting experience, over a young quarterback with promise.

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