The Minnesota Vikings have a busy offseason ahead as they need to decide what their plans are for the QB position. J.J. McCarthy is likely to be back after having one season as the starter. However, the question is: What type of backup will Minnesota pursue?
Could the Vikings pursue a signal-caller who will be there to back up McCarthy or one who can threaten his job? While Minnesota will have that decision soon, whether through a free-agent signing or a trade, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson predicts the Vikings will start the Michigan product in Week 1 of the 2026 season. There’s one catch, though.
“[McCarthy] got one more year under his belt to prove himself,” Johnson said on the Jan. 9 edition of “Night Cap.” “Are you the future? If not, you know the NFL, not for long, especially at the quarterback position, because every team understands that unless it has one, it has no chance.”
The Vikings Urged to Look at All Options to Improve QB
While Johnson is predicting that McCarthy will get one more year to prove himself as the Vikings’ starting QB, one NFL show host isn’t willing to go that far. “Up & Adams“ host Kay Adams sent a strong message on Jan. 6 about the team’s QB situation and what needs to be done this offseason, given its role in the team missing the playoffs.
“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. 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 Appear to Be Backing J.J. McCarthy for 2026
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune shared the latest he knows about the Vikings’ plan at quarterback after one season with McCarthy as the starter. Moreover, Goessling’s information aligns with Johnson’s prediction that McCarthy will get one more season as Minnesota doesn’t appear ready to move on from their QB.
“I don’t think you’re going to go out and pay a quarterback market-level money to compete with J.J. McCarthy,“ Goessling said during a Jan. 6 appearance on KFAN1003. “If you’re bringing somebody in, it’s somebody who’s going to start. In that case, you’re probably trying to trade J.J. McCarthy and not having that battle back-and-forth.
“If you’re talking about somebody making not market-level money, then that person is not going to necessarily have a claim on the job, which means it is going to be a competition, which means that person that you bring in probably has something of a ceiling.
“So that, I think, would play in McCarthy’s favor. He’s been in the system; I think the hope would be that he continues to develop, continues to mature.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Hit With Major Prediction