Kevin O'Connell talks J.J. McCarthy, goals for Vikings' 2026 QB room

Unsurprisingly, the quarterback position was a prominent topic of conversation at Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's end-of-season press conference on Tuesday. After a poor debut campaign from J.J. McCarthy that was defined by injuries and turnovers, the franchise has some major decisions to make at the most important position in the sport.

McCarthy, who turns 23 next week, is still a big part of Minnesota's plans until proven otherwise. But with pressure on Vikings leadership to turn things around and get back to the postseason in 2026, there's no guarantee that McCarthy will remain the starter. At the very least, expect some form of veteran competition to be brought in for the Vikings' young quarterback.

"In the quarterback room, it's about having the deepest talented room you possibly can, each and every year," O'Connell said. "What that looks like at a pretty impactful position on your salary cap, when you're able to possibly plan for your depth chart looking in a way where you can be competitive no matter what."

Last offseason, the Vikings let Sam Darnold walk in free agency and then were unable to retain Daniel Jones, which GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted on Tuesday they could've handled better. They also declined to pursue Aaron Rodgers and essentially handed the job to McCarthy, who was coming off of missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury. Both Sam Howell and later Carson Wentz were viewed as true backups.

It appears that won't be the case in 2026. Unless the Vikings go out and make a massive move to acquire a proven upgrade at quarterback, they'll likely enter training camp with a legitimate competition on their hands at that spot.

"I think there has to be (competition)," O'Connell said. "I think that's what's going to make everybody better in that room. I definitely want a competitive situation in that room."

Kevin O'Connell | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Asked directly if he wants McCarthy to be the starter in 2026, Adofo-Mensah gave a non-committal answer, not wanting to put himself or the team in any sort of bind. O'Connell wasn't asked that question directly, but he also straddled the line between expressing support for McCarthy and making it clear that competition is needed to elevate the room as a whole.

"Obviously J.J.'s gonna be a major, major emphasis for our staff and our team and me personally," O'Connell said. "We'll figure out what that looks like as we navigate the early part of this offseason, when it comes to managing the roster. I think ultimately, we've gotta decide how to not only continue J.J.'s progression, allow him to continue to ascend as a young player, but at the same time, I think the competition in that room will only enhance our entire team."

The McCarthy situation is a fascinating one because it can be viewed through several different lenses. At times this season, he played so poorly that he seemed to be careening towards instant bust status. He also simply hasn't been able to stay healthy and on the field in the two years since the Vikings drafted him tenth overall. On the other hand, McCarthy finished strong and has shown plenty of flashes of his immense physical talent — and one could argue that with just ten starts under his belt, his ceiling remains quite high as he gains more experience.

J.J. McCarthy | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

At this juncture, McCarthy appears to be too talented and inexperienced to give up on, but also too flawed and injury-prone to fully commit to. That's why bringing in a veteran and letting a true competition play out feels like a logical answer.

"I was really encouraged by the type of football he started to play toward the second half of the season, finishing the way he did," O'Connell said. "But we're still looking at a quarterback who's started ten games. Ten out of a possible 34 in two years. Not the ideal path for a young quarterback to develop on the field, but I thought he did."

This is a critical offseason for McCarthy. He's got a lot of work to do to put himself in position to win an offseason competition and hold onto the starting job in Minnesota. It starts with developing consistent, repeatable mechanics that can allow him to be more accurate and stack completions together within the Vikings' offense. The one thing that neither O'Connell nor Adofo-Mensah have any doubt about it how hard McCarthy will work to get to where they need him to be.

"He wants it more than anybody I've ever been around, and he's got an offseason where he's going to have time to not rehab an injury," Adofo-Mensah said. "And we're excited to see what development he takes and the steps he takes towards being available for us."

"J.J. McCarthy is a guy that wants to be great," O'Connell said. "I know he's going to work tirelessly to do that. I know his teammates have a lot of confidence in what he's gonna go to work to improve on this offseason and come back, have a great offseason, and be ready to hit the ground running in 2026. I think a deep and talented quarterback room will only enhance his ability to do that, and (I) look forward to being a part of that process."

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