Minnesota Vikings Demoting JJ McCarthy?

Now that Brian Flores is out of head coaching options and set to return as Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, it’s officially time for head coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to turn their attention toward the next main objective of the 2026 offseason.

There was a lot that went wrong with the Vikings’ 2025 season, but there was only one misstep that caused their ultimate demise and that was their trust entering training camp with JJ McCarthy as the starter and no better backup plan than Sam Howell.

When the redshirt rookie struggled to find success, or even stay on the field, the MN Vikings were forced to start midseason pickup Carson Wentz and eventually UDFA rookie Gopher, Max Brosmer.

When the regular season ended earlier this month, KOC and Kwesi told reporters that this offseason could look similar to last year, just like the roster. But there will be one clear difference — a better backup plan for JJ McCarthy.

But… will it be a “backup plan” at all?

JJ McCarthy to enter Minnesota Vikings training camp as a backup?

There have been some reports over the past few days that the Minnesota Vikings have been in contact with the Cincinnati Bengals regarding the trade cost on their superstar quarterback Joe Burrow.

But even if they don’t land a Burrow, longtime local insider Charley “Shooter” Walters (Pioneer Press) is convinced they will bring in a QB good enough to push McCarthy down the depth chart by the time Minnesota gets to 2026 training camp.

It was to no one’s surprise that Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell made it public recently that they intend to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with third-year QB J.J. McCarthy for the starting job next season.

That veteran, whoever it is, is expected to be the starter, not McCarthy.

The reason Daniel Jones signed with the Colts last year rather than re-sign with the Vikings was that he figured he had a better chance of winning the starting job in Indianapolis than he did in beating out McCarthy. Next time, though, McCarthy will have to beat out his competitor, not be handed the starting job.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

Related: Former Vikings QBs are Bashing Mike Zimmer on Social Media (Again)

Shooter admits he doesn’t have intel on exactly which quarterback the Minnesota Vikings are targeting this offseason, but he does write that only two options make sense, if their plan is to upgrade from McCarthy.

The most obvious candidate is Kirk Cousins, who redid his contract this offseason in Atlanta, to make himself easier to cut loose, come March. The only other QB fit for the Vikings, according to Charley, is Kyler Murray.

How good will the Vikings’ new QB be…?

Despite the recent reports connecting Minnesota to 29-year-old QB Joe Burrow, Walters doesn’t see the Vikings successfully convincing the Bengals to offload their 2x Pro Bowler via trade.

While he doesn’t rule out KOC and Kwesi at least trying for Burrow, he doesn’t believe the Vikings have enough cap flexibility to make a deal work anyway.

Who will [JJ McCarthy’s] competition be? Ex-Viking Kirk Cousins remains a strong possibility, but he wouldn’t come to be the backup.

The only other option that makes sense is Kyler Murray. The Vikings could aim higher, but teams aren’t going to trade Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson or Justin Herbert. At the least, the Vikings couldn’t afford them.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

One thing has become crystal clear over the past couple weeks. The Minnesota Vikings are going to bring in the best possible QB they can get their hands on this offseason.

Unlike last winter/spring, their search will not be hampered by concern that their new quarterback could block JJ McCarthy from getting on the field. So now, we wait to see how high up the QB ladder they can climb.