The Minnesota Vikings are looking to win now, and that could mean moving on from J.J. McCarthy if the right opportunity presents itself this offseason. It was an inconsistent first season as McCarthy’s starting QB, with highs and lows.
Nonetheless, the question this offseason is whether the Vikings intend to back McCarthy or find an alternative to either challenge for the starting job or outright replace him.
On Jan. 22, On SI’s Grant Cohn, a beat reporter covering the San Francisco 49ers, was debunking any speculation of the Niners trading for Justin Jefferson. However, in that same video, he mentioned that the Vikings are willing to make a huge trade offer for Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.
“[The Vikings] want to get right back into contention,” Cohn said in a video posted on X. “They’re planning to offer J.J. McCarthy and Jonathan Greenard, and two first‑round picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Joe Burrow. If the Bengals say no, then they might go out and get Kirk Cousins, bring him back.
“What they’re not going to do is trade Justin Jefferson from Minnesota to the Niners because they said, ‘Pretty, pretty, please.’ So fun idea, but if the Niners want a wide receiver for Minnesota, it’s Jordan Addison.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Under Pressure for 2026
Recently, 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 pros.
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 Urged to Bring Another Veteran QB This Offseason
This past season, McCarthy had 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.”
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