The question for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason is what their plan is at quarterback. What type of signal-caller do they bring to push J.J. McCarthy? Will it be one that only backs him up, challenges McCarthy for the starting role, or one that replaces him?
With the Vikings now in their offseason mode, several names will emerge as potential targets. On Jan. 8, during an appearance on KFAN1003, NFL insider Tom Pelissero was asked about what the Vikings would need to give up for San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones.
“There’s a great value in San Francisco to having the No. 2 quarterback who you trust can go out there and execute at a high level,” Pelissero said. “So I don’t think that Kyle Shanahan is just going, ‘Hey, if we can get a third round pick for Mac Jones, great, let’s take it.’ I don’t foresee it being a first-round pick for Mac Jones.
“I don’t even know that you get into second-round pick territory, which is kind of in the historical. If you’re trading a backup quarterback who’s good, who’s behind an established starter, two is kind of usually the top end of what you potentially can get. I just don’t know that what really moves the needle for San Francisco.”
Vikings Would Need to Spend Money on Mac Jones
Jones wouldn’t be a guaranteed starter, but he would be a name who could challenge McCarthy for the job and take it from him if the Michigan product doesn’t perform at a high level during training camp and the preseason.
It will be interesting to see if Minnesota wants to give up this draft capital or perhaps go with a quarterback who’s less of a threat to take McCarthy’s role as the starter. Nonetheless, acquiring a player like Jones would also mean that, along with the draft capital, the team would need to pay him.
“When Mac Jones had no future in New England, the Patriots still got a 5th-round pick for him, trading him to Jacksonville,” Pelissero added. “Now that he’s playing a lot better football, the price is going to be higher than that. I don’t know that the 49ers are taking a fourth-round or even a third for Mac Jones.
“And at some point, you start to get really rich in terms of what that number is going to be, especially because if you’re trading for Mac Jones to be your starter, he’s also going to want a new contract as part of that deal.”
Vikings Need to Keep All Options Open
This week, “Up & Adams” host Kay Adams sent a strong message to the Vikings, noting that the QB position needs improvement and, while not giving up on McCarthy, that the team needs to look at every option.
“I’m not writing J.J. off,” Adams said. “I have questions, and he’s got something to prove a little bit, right? They can’t go into the offseason intent on running it back just because he’s a first-round pick, who everybody really likes in the building.
“I don’t know. There are a bunch of quarterbacks who are on the move, potentially: Kyler [Murray], Tua [Tagovailoa]. I talked to Kirk Cousins. Could he come back? [Aaron] Rodgers could be available again if he looks this good. Rodgers could be available again. He’s said to be a free agent.
“I would say, if you are the Vikings, you have to. It’s your responsibility to check every open door, every phone call, respond to every text, send them on your own, and they need to really figure it out. They cannot lose another, have another crap season because of the quarterback position. They can’t do it. So, they got to figure that.”
Vikings Receive Strong Insider Take on 49ers QB Mac Jones