Insiders Link Vikings to Veteran QBs Who'd Push McCarthy

As we continue seeking clarity about the direction the Vikings are going at quarterback this offseason, two prominent reporters seem to agree that Minnesota is looking for a second-tier quarterback to push J.J. McCarthy in a true competition ahead of next season.

"What the Vikings have to figure out is what is the sensible addition to that room, because they are not in any way giving up on J.J. McCarthy. He hasn't had the time," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero told Tatum Everett of the Vikings Entertainment Network. "Injuries have been a driving force of why he's not been on the field. its hard to improve at the things you need to improve at, like all young quarterbacks, if you're not out there.

"If you go trade, let's say, hypothetically, a second-round pick for Mac Jones, it's pretty clear Mac Jones is your starting quarterback. So you've gotta find that balance between getting somebody in who's really going to push him and not expending a ton of resources to do it. One of those quarterbacks that's got guaranteed money, that the Vikings could pay the minimum, if and when he's released, they would probably have dibs on those guys because everyone wants to play quarterback in Minnesota."

The first-tier quarterbacks seem to be Mac Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Malik Willis, Derek Carr, and perhaps Kirk Cousins. All of them would, at least hypothetically, be instant starters over McCarthy. If that's accurate, then guys who might be considered second-tier quarterbacks, the guys Pelissero hinted at, include Kyler Murray and Geno Smith, among others.

ESPN's Peter Schrager is thinking along those same lines.

"It depends on how you look at Kyler Murray and what number. And then I look at guys like Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Jimmy Garoppolo, or Geno Smith," Schrager said Thursday.

"There is a large second tier of what might be free agent available quarterbacks, that we right now might be thinking, 'Well, those aren't going to be real competitions for J.J. McCarthy.' But when you get into training camp, we'll see how they push J.J. They cannot make the same mistake twice. They cannot go into this season just saying, 'Hey, we're good with J.J., we'll let him roll as our No. 1 and not have a No. 2.'"

“They fired the GM because he had Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and an interested Aaron Rodgers in the building, and he said, no, we're good with JJ and Max Brosmer and Carson Wentz are gonna be his backups.”

- @PSchrags on Kwesi’s firing as Vikings GM

pic.twitter.com/9fhRU85GdQ
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) February 26, 2026

It's an interesting opinion, but it doesn't make sense when talking about Carr. He's a surefire starter who probably wouldn't cost a lot. The Saints still have his rights, so Minnesota would have to swap late-round draft picks with New Orleans to be able to sign him, but that's nothing in the grand scheme of things.

And I flat-out disagree with Schrager when it comes to Murray and Smith, who are reportedly likely going to be released by the Cardinals and Raiders, respectively. Both of those guys are going to start over McCarthy if they sign with the Vikings. It would be similar to Daniel Jones landing with the Colts last offseason because he was confident he'd win a competition over Anthony Richardson.

That's especially true for Smith, whose 2025 season should be thrown in the trash since he played for a hapless Raiders team, whereas he was excellent in the three previous seasons with the Seahawks, earning two Pro Bowl selections and finishing ninth in MVP voting in 2022.

One Vikings QB option I'm pretty intrigued by is Geno Smith.

He was legitimately very good from 2022-24 in Seattle, especially on deep passes. He can hit the intermediate throws over the middle that KOC loves.

The fit might be better than you think.pic.twitter.com/1QucouGb1N
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) February 25, 2026

Smith averaged 4,075 passing yards, 23.6 touchdowns, and 11.6 interceptions from 2022 to 2024, while completing 1,129 of 1,649 passes (68.5%). Not exactly the stuff of a guy who has to prove he's good enough to start next season.

The best-case scenario for the Vikings is a plan where they can sign a veteran quarterback for a reasonably low price and have him start in 2026. And they need to do that without having to commit long-term, and without giving up draft capital, which will be extremely valuable in the event McCarthy isn't ready to be QB1 in 2027.