The Minnesota Vikings made improving the quarterback room a mandate after J.J. McCarthy‘s checkered performance this past season, and that means shedding some roster space.
Appraising the Vikings’ pending free agents and their outlook, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis views Carson Wentz as expendable due to the need to find a better veteran to pair with McCarthy.
“Wentz’s arrival was the first clear sign that Minnesota’s 2025 quarterback plan was not going well. The Vikings tried Sam Howell during training camp, but he struggled consistently. Wentz provided some insurance in that he could learn the system on the fly. But his rugged play style meant an injury was always just a play away,” Lewis wrote on January 22.
“O’Connell was complimentary of Wentz’s toughness, and by all accounts, the locker room enjoyed his presence. Neither affects what’s obvious about the Vikings’ QB pursuit for 2026: They prefer someone with more upside and sustainability.”
Wentz took the starting reins when McCarthy exited Week 2 with a high-ankle sprain.
The North Dakota native went 2-3, averaged 243.2 yards passing and threw six touchdowns to five interceptions for an 85.8 passer rating. The Vikings offense averaged 24.4 points with Wentz under center compared to 19.9 points per game with McCarthy.
Who Will Replace Carson Wentz in the Vikings QB Room?
GettyQB Carson Wentz of the Minnesota Vikings.
After an 8-9 season that saw the Vikings outside the playoff chase for much of the year, the expectation is they will be aggressive in finding a quarterback that provides a higher floor but could still co-exist with McCarthy as a backup.
“I absolutely want a competitive situation,” Kevin O’Connell said in his end-of-season news conference. “What that looks like with the reps, I think it’s all predicated on — obviously, J.J. is going to be a major, major emphasis for our staff and our team and me personally.”
There are many paths the Vikings could take to create more competition, either through free agency or by trade. Free agency has a pool of quarterbacks with starting experience like Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota and Russell Wilson.
There are younger franchise quarterbacks who have fizzled out in their current situations like Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa. And there is, of course, the connection to Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers, whose futures are unclear.
Then there’s the trade market, which could be ripe for the right price. Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are on the highest branches and require a blockbuster deal that would surely oust McCarthy from Minnesota.
A tier below would be Mac Jones or Geno Smith, who could become available by trade and would compete with McCarthy.
JJ McCarthy’s Development Remains Forefront for the Vikings
While his early struggles executing O’Connell’s offense were evident, McCarthy grew more confident late in the season operating a pared-down version of O’Connell’s preferred offense.
The Vikings coach will want to take the training wheels off at some point, but McCarthy’s final stretch of games was encouraging. He closed the season with four straight wins, completing 64.3% of his passes for 703 yards, scoring seven total touchdowns to just two interceptions and a 100.4 passer rating.
He was also sacked only seven times in those games, suggesting better decision-making and pocket presence.
These are examples of encouragement that will help McCarthy maintain optimism entering a pivotal third season of his career.
Vikings Expected to Part Ways With Veteran QB Amid JJ McCarthy Concerns