In a few weeks, Kevin O’Connell will head to the Sean McVay coaching tree reunion. Depending on what happens in the next few weeks, McVay and his former understudies could be celebrating another Super Bowl championship for their mentor. However, there are many other reasons for people to celebrate.
Matt LaFleur can celebrate a new contract extension and the fact that McVay stood up to his big, bad bully Ben Johnson. Liam Cohen could rejoice in a successful first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Zac Taylor could celebrate that the Cincinnati Bengals hadn’t fired him, and the list goes on and on…until O’Connell walks in the room.
“Hey, Kevin. Is the concrete dry yet?” McVay quips before an explosion of laughter. “Somebody had to change their offense for their quarterback! What’s next? Some more ‘Nine’ memes?”
McVay’s jokes had the room rolling, except for O’Connell, who looked at him like when Prince stared a hole through Charlie Murphy when he asked if his shirt was from the men’s department. The comments cut like a knife as O’Connell thought what would happen if he only had a quarterback – but more specifically, if he only had Tom Brady.
There is no such thing as a Sean McVay coaching tree reunion. At least, as far as we know. Still, it feels like something that could happen away from the football world’s prying eyes.
For years, the Vikings have been trying to find their version of Brady. In general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 interview with USA Today’s Jori Epstein, Adofo-Mensah noted that while it would be nice to find Brady or Patrick Mahomes, it’s hard to find a quarterback of that caliber. As a result, teams have to find other ways to create long-term contenders. The Vikings tried their hand at doing so with a young quarterback.
It’s only been two years, but Drake Maye appears to be on his way to becoming a Brady-level quarterback. While the Vikings identified him and reportedly tried to give the New England Patriots a godfather offer for the right to draft him, they ended up going with J.J. McCarthy as their backup plan.
You can highlight many reasons why McCarthy hasn’t lived up to the expectations of being the highest-drafted quarterback in Vikings history. You can also argue that, despite a disappointing first season as the team’s starter, it would be key for the Vikings to have some patience and hope that McCarthy comes back to training camp as a new quarterback with a year of experience in the NFL.
But there are many things that need to happen. While McCarthy may have been dropped into a perfect situation, the NFL is all about timing.
Look at Brady’s late-career arc. In 2019, he was throwing his final passes for the Patriots and debating whether to stay in New England or chase a championship somewhere else. He could have retired with the Patriots, but there was a perfect opportunity brewing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 2019 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a solid team. They had elite weapons in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They had an explosive backfield led by Ronald Jones. Their pass rush was dominant, led by Vita Vea, Shaquil Barrett, and Ndamukong Suh. Meanwhile, they had playmakers in the back end, including linebacker Lavonte David, safety Jordan Whitehead, and cornerback Carlton Davis.
They had everything you would want in a championship contender – except for a quarterback.
Jameis Winston was Tampa’s No. 1-overall pick in the 2015 draft and had his best statistical season as a starter in Bruce Arians’ vertical offense. With 5,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, the offense functioned at a playoff level. But Winston took the “No risk it, no biscuit” motto to the extreme by chucking 30 interceptions to send the Bucs to a 7-9 season.
Arians needed a quarterback who could get the job done, and it came at a time when arguably the greatest quarterback of all time became a free agent. Brady signed with the Bucs the following spring. The addition of Antoine Winfield Jr., and Rob Gronkowski made the roster even stronger. A few months later, Brady and Arians were holding up the Lombardi Trophy.
There’s a good chance that Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell see the same thing in the current state of the Vikings. Minnesota still has the bones of a defense that ranked third in total yards and seventh in scoring last season. Veterans such as Jonathan Greenard, Josh Metellus, and Andrew Van Ginkel bring experience, while young players such as Jalen Redmond and Dallas Turner offer upside.
The Vikings offense also has the framework of a contender. Few teams can match the receiving duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and that group becomes even stronger if they can re-sign Jalen Nailor in free agency. T.J. Hockenson is another top pass catcher if he remains in Minnesota, and the offensive line should be better as Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, and Donovan Jackson should all be recovered from the injuries they battled through last season.
With a fellow schemer like O’Connell calling the plays, everything is there for the Vikings to rebound in 2026 – except for the quarterback.
It all comes back to McCarthy. If the Vikings were a team far from contention, they could afford to ride another season of highs and lows and hope McCarthy figures it out. But the question isn’t if McCarthy can become a viable starter someday; it’s if he can become someone who can help this team win right now.
Minnesota has given every indication they don’t believe that’s the case. They haven’t officially thrown in the towel on McCarthy. Still, they also haven’t committed to him as the starter in 2026. If that’s how they feel, they need to find their version of Brady – but once again, timing is everything.
The list of available quarterbacks is unclear, but Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert all have the talent to fill that role. But that also requires their teams to be willing to trade them, which doesn’t seem likely considering how hard it is to find a quarterback of that caliber.
That has the Vikings back searching through the scrap heap. Still, there’s a reason why guys like Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, or Kirk Cousins could become available. Aaron Rodgers would also be the same age that Brady was when he arrived in Tampa Bay, should he decide to come to Minnesota for one more year. However, it’s unknown whether O’Connell would accept his office being run by hand gestures and Austin Powers quotes in the chase for a Super Bowl ring.
Of course, the Vikings also know what happens when things go the other way. Sam Darnold was a free agent before the 2024 season and came out of the fire to lead a 14-win season. Many Darnold takes are 20/20 hindsight these days, but it shows the front office that such outcomes are possible if they find the right quarterback.
It’s why teams like the Vikings typically stumble over themselves while trying to find their version of Brady. And why they may be a good team with horrible timing as they find themselves a quarterback away from competing in 2026 and catching up with their fellow McVay students.