The Minnesota Vikings are set to take the field once again in Week 14, and when they do, they will have quarterback J.J. McCarthy back under center after he missed the team’s 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. While things went poorly with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer under center last weekend, they haven’t gone much better when McCarthy has played this season.
After selecting McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings hoped he would establish himself as the team’s quarterback of the future this year. To this point, though, that simply hasn’t happened, and according to a recent report, it could lead Minnesota’s front office to make an eye-opening move at quarterback over the upcoming offseason.
Vikings Expected to Add Veteran Quarterback Over the Offseason
In 2024, McCarthy was initially set to compete with Sam Darnold for the Vikings’ starting quarterback job, but instead, he suffered a meniscus injury in August that ended his season before it ever really started. Darnold enjoyed the best season of his career, but Minnesota let him walk in free agency, as it instead decided to turn the offense over to McCarthy.
Despite never having played a snap in the NFL, McCarthy had virtually no competition for the starting job over the summer. Through six games this season, though, McCarthy has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. The former Michigan Wolverines star has thrown for just 929 yards and six touchdowns, while also tossing 10 interceptions during his time on the field.
Simply put, McCarthy has been a mess, and while the team isn’t going to give up on him just yet, it’s clear the quarterback position is going to need to be reinforced ahead of the 2026 campaign. With that in mind, NFL insider Ian Rapoport believes that the team will make an effort to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with McCarthy for the starting job next season.
“With a look to next year, wouldn’t be surprised if the Minnesota Vikings brought in a veteran quarterback to enhance that quarterback room, maybe push J.J. McCarthy a little bit in 2026,” Rapoport said on “NFL GameDay.”
Vikings Hoping J.J. McCarthy Can Improve Over Final Few Games in 2025
GettyVikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
After winning 14 games with Darnold leading the way last season, the Vikings have just a 4-8 record to this point, so it’s clear that things have not gone as expected this year. While that doesn’t fall solely on McCarthy’s shoulders, Minnesota is obviously going to need to get better play from the quarterback position moving forward if it wants to reestablish itself as a playoff contender.
Carson Wentz held down the fort early in the season when McCarthy was forced to miss time, but he is out for the year after suffering a shoulder injury. Considering how he was brought in right before the start of the new campaign, it seems like the Vikings want to have a better blueprint in place for the quarterback position in 2026. First, they need to finish up the 2025 season, as they have a matchup with the Washington Commanders on their hands in Week 14.
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