Arguably the biggest question of the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is what the team plans to do with quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The second-year- signal-caller struggled replacing Sam Darnold, who signed a $100 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks last offseason and has them playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
McCarthy spent half of the 2025 season injured and the other half making ill-advised throws, showing questionable decision making, and prompting Minnesota’s front office to consider bringing in another QB to compete for the starting job next year.
Because the Vikings invested the No. 10 overall pick on McCarthy in 2024, many expect him to get at least one more opportunity to prove he’s the team’s long-term answer under QB in 2026.
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But after the organization fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last week, McCarthy’s future is even more up in the air. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the Vikings could potentially move on from the former Michigan star after they hire Adofo-Mensah’s replacement.
“The best way to put this, based on what sources have said, is that all bets are off,” Seifert reported. “The general manager who drafted McCarthy No. 10 in 2024 has been fired, and the coach who was in full agreement with that decision is now under considerably more scrutiny.
“If anything, [Adofo-Mensah’s firing] increases the chances that the Vikings will take a big swing at finding a veteran quarterback who could start in 2026. The only thing more damaging than making the mistakes the Vikings made last season would be to repeat them this year.”
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McCarthy threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions this season — an uninspiring performance by any measure. He barely completed 57% of his passes, and he was outplayed by journeyman backup Carson Wentz, who completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions and went 2-3 as the starter midseason.
Despite McCarthy’s 6-4 record in his 10 starts, he was benched for rookie Max Brosmer late in the season, and he reached the 250-yard plateau just once all year.
And because McCarthy is tied to the previous regime, it’s plausible whoever the Vikings’ new general manager is, he will want to draft or trade for his own franchise QB.