Vikings expected to add QB competition for J.J. McCarthy in 2026
J.J. McCarthy isn’t getting it done, so the Vikings are reportedly ready to hedge their bets.
Minnesota is reportedly planning to add a veteran quarterback next offseason to challenge McCarthy for the starting job, according to NFL.com.
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The move appears to be driven by McCarthy’s struggles and mounting concerns over his lackluster string of 2025 performances.
McCarthy was selected No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft but missed last season due to a torn meniscus.
He’s attempted 159 passes this year in six starts, completing just 86 for a lowly 54.1 percentage.
McCarthy has recorded 929 passing yards, with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
In his six starts, he has just one game of at least 200 yards passing.
That performance coupled with his two injury absences — a high ankle sprain and a concussion — has seemingly reignited internal discussion in Minnesota about reinforcing the quarterback room before next season.
Among the options being floated are experienced free-agent quarterbacks who could provide a “push” for McCarthy and “enhance” the team’s QB room, according to NFL Network.
This isn’t to say McCarthy definitively won’t be the starter, but as a second-year player who was drafted in 2024, he has two years remaining on his contract, with the potential for a fifth-year team option in 2028.
The Vikings, like other NFL teams, are incentivized to make quicker decisions about potential quarterback solutions.
In Sunday’s contest against the Commanders, the Vikings did cruise to a 31-0 win.
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McCarthy showed encouraging signs by completing 16-of-23 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
The Vikings, at 5-8, are still trying to breathe life into what has been an uneasy 2025.
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