The Minnesota Vikings‘ plan for the quarterback position will be at the forefront of the offseason. After missing the playoffs this past 2025 NFL season, the team cannot return with the same group. However, that doesn’t mean that the team is ready to move on from J.J. McCarthy.
With the offseason for Minnesota now underway, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune shared the latest he knows about the Vikings’ plan for the quarterback position after one season with McCarthy as the starter.
“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 Insider Expects J.J. McCarthy to Be the Starter
Moreover, with Goessling not seeing the Vikings pursuing a QB who can take over the position from McCarthy, he does see the Michigan product as the starter, as Minnesota needs a larger sample size to determine whether they have a franchise QB or need to move on.
“We’ve seen a lot of need for that, but a lot of this will depend on how aggressive they get. And that’s why I think it’s more likely than not that he’s starting, because the other thing is, they understand that this stuff takes a while, and this stuff is not going to be solved in ten starts. But you also have to have some options; he has to be better than he was this year. There’s just no way around.”
J.J. McCarthy Talks Returning as Vikings’ QB1 Next Season
Despite pulling himself out of the game due to injury, McCarthy went 14-for-23 on his pass attempts for 182 passing yards against the Green Bay Packers. Still, more importantly, the second-season quarterback showed a promising connection with Justin Jefferson, who recorded eight receptions for 101 receiving yards.
After the win over the Packers on Jan. 4, McCarthy spoke with reporters about whether he did enough to warrant being the starting QB for Minnesota next season amid rumors that the Vikings could pursue another signal-caller in the offseason.
“After today, maybe,” McCarthy told reporters postgame. “Tomorrow, there’s nothing promise. The next day, there’s nothing promise. That’s something I take very seriously. It’s not something that you buy, and you get for the rest of your life. You rent it, you lease it every single day. I’m just trying to make daily deposits to make sure I’m in this house for a long time.”
Insider Shares Big Update on Vikings QB, J.J. McCarthy Situation