Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is under pressure heading into the 2026 campaign after a rollercoaster ride in his first season as the starting signal-caller. Moreover, McCarthy has to convince the NFL greats that he can be the guy who makes the most of a weapon like Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson had 84 catches for 1,048 yards and scored two touchdowns in 17 games for the Vikings this season, per StatMuse. Additionally, the Vikings star recorded only three games with 100 or more receiving yards. As a result, it was a challenging season for Jefferson despite crossing the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
Nonetheless, former San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice still sees Jefferson as the best receiver in the NFL, even if he hasn’t had a quarterback in the eyes of the former wideout, which is an indictment of McCarthy and other former Vikings QBs.
“I still got to go with Justin Jefferson,” Rice said on a Jan. 28 appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show” about the best wideout in the NFL, leading to his indirect shot at McCarthy and the other QBs that Jefferson has caught passes from.
“Even though he hasn’t had a quarterback, this guy can do it all. He can stretch the field. He can out-jump you. He’s not afraid to go across the middle. There are some great receivers out there, but I would still put him as No. 1.”
Vikings Urged to Pursue QB This Offseason
In the 2025 season, McCarthy posted a passer rating of 72.6 with 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 games for the Vikings, per StatMuse.
On the Jan. 20 edition of “Up & Adams,” former Vikings pass-catcher Kyle Rudolph believes that Minnesota need to bring in a quarterback who can compete with McCarthy.
“I think they have to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. I think it’s a big mistake that they made last year, just handing over the reins and not having a veteran to compete with them,” Rudolph said. “There certainly were a few options, one of which is playing this weekend in the NFC Championship game. Another one, in Daniel Jones, was in the locker room last year.
“I’m a huge fan of and absolutely love his game. And this doesn’t mean that J.J. can’t be your quarterback of the future, but just handing him over a Super Bowl caliber roster and saying, ‘Okay, go for it,’ and not having a veteran that is in that room and competing against them, I ultimately think that you’re not setting him up for success.”
J.J. McCarthy Under Pressure Heading Into 2026 Season
Meanwhile, CBS Sports listed seven quarterbacks who have the most to prove in 2026. NFL analyst Ran Carthon believes that McCarthy not needing to rehab this offseason could prove helpful for him heading into his third season in the NFL.
However, he still expects the Vikings to bring in a QB that can take advantage of a team that wants to win now, should McCarthy stumble.
“For J.J. McCarthy and for the Minnesota Vikings, for that matter, this offseason is going to be critical because J.J. is going to need to approach this offseason from the standpoint of being able to work on his game and not have to be rehabbing an injury,” Carthon said during a Jan. 21 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “So this is going to be really key for him.
“I do believe that the Minnesota Vikings will have a backup plan in terms of a veteran quarterback to bring in there because this team is too good a team to sit and wait for this guy to develop, because you’re going to miss the primes of a lot of really good players that they have on offense and defense.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Catches Indirect Shot From Jerry Rice