Vikings Losing Confidence in J.J. McCarthy as QB Rumors Grow

When the Minnesota Vikings picked J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, they believed he would grow into their next franchise quarterback. But things haven’t gone as planned. His rookie year ended early because of a torn meniscus, and his second season has been up and down. Now, the team seems unsure about building the future around him.

The buzz around the league is getting louder. The Vikings are being linked to veteran quarterbacks for the 2026 season, including Daniel Jones and even Aaron Rodgers. These rumors don’t feel accidental — they feel like real options the team is thinking about.

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky even said the Vikings could keep star receiver Justin Jefferson happy by signing Jones. Former Viking Anthony Barr also shared his thoughts, saying Minnesota should consider Rodgers next year so McCarthy can sit and learn behind him. Barr wrote on X, “Too early to give up on him… imagine he had a year to learn from Rodgers.”

There’s a clear reason these two names keep coming up. Daniel Jones has looked like a different quarterback in Indianapolis after signing a one-year, $14 million deal. He’s thrown for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and has a 101.3 passer rating. He also praised Kevin O’Connell and the work he did with Minnesota’s quarterbacks when Jones was there briefly.

Rodgers, on the other hand, tried to join the Vikings last offseason. He pitched the idea of one final Super Bowl run and said he was willing to mentor McCarthy. The Vikings said no at the time, and with Rodgers often talking about retirement, it’s hard to know if he would still be interested.

Either way, the talk about adding a veteran shows that McCarthy’s development has slowed down.

O’Connell said this week that he doesn’t want McCarthy stressing over his mechanics right now. Instead, he wants him focusing on making smart decisions because the turnovers have hurt the team. “It’s purely about decision-making,” O’Connell said, explaining that McCarthy needs to play with a clear mind and stay in rhythm.

It’s also fair to wonder how different things would look if the Vikings had kept Sam Darnold on the franchise tag. Darnold is playing well in Seattle, while McCarthy has missed six games this season, including one after entering concussion protocol following the Week 12 loss to Green Bay.

In his six starts, McCarthy has a 2-4 record, a 54.1% completion rate, 929 passing yards, six touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He has shown flashes of talent, but not enough to secure the long-term job.

If Minnesota signs Daniel Jones, McCarthy likely becomes a backup with no clear path to starting again. Rodgers would be different — he would probably sign for one year, giving McCarthy time to reset and learn from a future Hall of Famer.

O’Connell usually thinks about the future, so it’s hard to picture him building the team around a 42-year-old quarterback. But the fact that these rumors exist says a lot. Right now, J.J. McCarthy’s starting job in Minnesota is on shaky ground, and the challenge ahead of him is getting tougher.

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