Offseason rumor involving NFC starting quarterback should interest Browns, Cardinals, Colts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and Indianapolis Colts should pay close attention to the Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback situation involving J.J. McCarthy.

Advertisement

Kevin Seifert of ESPN believes McCarthy’s future with the Vikings has changed since the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager.

Seifert says Minnesota could look to replace McCarthy with a veteran signal-caller in the coming months, as urgency has picked up within the organization, particularly head coach Kevin O’Connell, following the firing of Adofo-Mensah.

“The best way to put this, based on what sources have said, is that all bets are off,” Seifert wrote. “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, these events increase the chances that the Vikings will take a big swing at finding a veteran quarterback who could start in 2026,” Seifert added. “The only thing more damaging than making the mistakes the Vikings made last season would be to repeat them this year.”

Advertisement

McCarthy’s uninspiring performance in 2025 warrants a change for the Vikings.

The Michigan product started 10 games, and though he posted a 6-4 record, he tossed just 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

McCarthy also continued to struggle with injuries. After sitting out his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury, he missed seven more games this season with a plethora of issues, including an ankle injury, concussion, and a hairline fracture in his right hand.

With O’Connell’s seat getting hotter after missing the playoffs for the second time in three years, the Vikings could look to add an established quarterback this offseason to help the team get back into the postseason in 2026, meaning McCarthy’s tenure as the franchise’s starter could be cut short sooner than expected.

Advertisement

The Browns, Cardinals, and Colts could all be in the quarterback market this offseason, and taking a swing on McCarthy would be a low-risk, high-reward type move.

Cleveland could look to pass on starting Shedeur Sanders in 2026 and instead acquire McCarthy and give him a shot.

Kyler Murray’s time in Arizona seems to be numbered, so McCarthy could be a young bridge starter for the Cardinals to usher in a new era under head coach Mike LaFleur.

Indianapolis will likely bring back Daniel Jones, but trading for McCarthy to replace A nthont Richardson as the backup would be a savvy move from general manager Chris Ballard.

Advertisement

More NFL news