The Minnesota Vikings quarterback plan for the 2025 season has come under a ton of scrutiny of late as the team is in the midst of a late-season rally.
McCarthy is still on his rookie contract for two more years, but the team may opt to bring in a veteran voice and/or competitor to the position this offseason.
ESPN’s Kevin Siefert penned a deep dive article about the season and what’s ahead for the young quarterback, the coach, and the organization:
EAGAN, Minn. — Vikings fans were watching warmups in December when an in-house camera began panning the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium. It stopped at a group holding a homemade poster.
The top of the poster read: “All I want for Christmas”
On the bottom was an image of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose late-season musings about his future have sparked speculation that he could change teams during the offseason.
There is no better symbol of the Vikings’ season than fans wishing for a new quarterback only four months after the team installed 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy — the talented and charismatic 2024 first-round draft pick who had the fan base swooning this summer.
McCarthy’s performance, when he wasn’t missing seven games because of three separate injuries, was at times so concerning that it was reasonable to suggest he should be replaced after one season. The more likely outcome is the Vikings having a renewed interest in adding a starting-caliber veteran to pair and possibly compete with McCarthy, according to league sources. That potential move would create a more robust quarterback room than the one that doomed them in 2025.
McCarthy demonstrated some progress during a December winning streak, but it came in games against three of the NFL’s worst defenses. Entering Week 18, McCarthy’s QBR (33.9) ranks 46th out of 58 quarterbacks who have made at least one start. He has had only two games with more than 200 passing yards.
“At times, I feel like I let my teammates down and my coaches down,” McCarthy said, “and that’s the hardest thing for me. But the most encouraging thing is seeing them pick me up and understand the culture.”
Internal concerns about McCarthy’s style of play, accuracy, mechanics and even his personality spilled into public. But no hands were left clean.
Coach Kevin O’Connell’s pass-heavy scheme was picked apart by NFL pundits, most notably Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner, and the coach eventually geared it down for McCarthy. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah committed nearly $350 million to the Vikings’ 2025 roster but missed on some key bets while trying to build a team that could support the NFL’s youngest Week 1 starting quarterback.
What made the Vikings think McCarthy was prepared to lead a playoff team? Why did they spend $350 million on the 2025 roster but end up with a thin quarterback room after having veterans Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones on their roster and receiving interest from Aaron Rodgers? Why did McCarthy play so poorly earlier this season — and what will become of him in 2026?
ESPN has tracked the transition since it began last spring and spoke to league and team sources about it. One of the clear takeaways is that Jones’ decision to sign with the Indianapolis Colts upended the Vikings’ plan far more than previously known. There is also widespread agreement that the Vikings overestimated McCarthy’s floor as a first-year starter.
The most optimistic spin, Warner said, is that McCarthy needs more time before a full judgment can be made.
“He hasn’t shown me that he’s going to be great at this point,” Warner recently told ESPN. “But I didn’t expect that. It’s fun when a guy can do that early in his career and show you, ‘Oh man, I’ve got the potential to be great.’ But that’s unique. It doesn’t happen very often.
“And he hasn’t really gotten a fair shake, from them being expected to be a Super Bowl team, and with comparisons to Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones or Aaron Rodgers. It was never going to be that good this season. With J.J, there are some lumps being taken. … I don’t see enough to have a real good feel on what he’s going to be.”
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To check out the article in its entirety, visit the link below.
The Vikings play host to the Packers on Sunday in the regular season finale, a Noon start time from US Bank Stadium.
Source:Â ESPN.com
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