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Vikings legend John Randle warned J.J. McCarthy about the impending quarterback competition he is set to find himself in
The Minnesota Vikings have some big decisions to make this offseason. They already made one when they surprisingly decided to fire their general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, earlier this offseason, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The biggest of the bunch involves the quarterback position, where J.J. McCarthy struggled to cement himself as the team’s starter for the long-term future.
After letting both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk in free agency, Minnesota struggled to find its footing with McCarthy under center after handing him the starting job in 2025. It seems like things will be different in 2026, with Vikings legend John Randle recently advocating for the team to bring in some competition for McCarthy over the offseason.
John Randle Gets Brutally Honest on J.J. McCarthy
The Vikings selected McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he ended up missing his entire rookie season after suffering a meniscus injury during training camp that required season-ending surgery. Darnold took over under center, and he led the team to a breakout 14-win season.
After struggling in the playoffs, though, Minnesota let Darnold leave and instead handed the starting quarterback job to McCarthy on a silver platter. In 2025, McCarthy ended up struggling with injuries again, but even when he was on the field, he looked awful, as he completed just 57.6% of his passes, while also throwing 12 interceptions and just 11 touchdowns.
Darnold, on the other hand, led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in his first season with the team, making this decision hurt the Vikings even more. It’s clear that a better plan is needed at the quarterback position heading into 2026, with Randle making it clear that, if he were running the front office, he would find a way to get some competition for McCarthy over the offseason.
“If I was the GM, I would definitely give him competition. I’m bringing in competition for him,” Randle said on “Purple Daily.” “I would tell him, ‘Last year, you had your chance. We gave it to you. But you didn’t prove that you could really handle it, so we’re gonna bring somebody in who’s definitely gonna give you competition.’”
What Should the Vikings Do at Quarterback This Offseason?
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Considering how much talent the Vikings have elsewhere on their roster, it’s clear they cannot endure another season of poor quarterback play in 2026. Finding a veteran to come in and compete with McCarthy, if not outright steal the starting job from him, is a must, or else things could go south for Minnesota quickly.
The good news for the Vikings is that they have a plethora of options at their disposal this offseason. Picking the right guy is going to be critical, though, because if McCarthy struggles, they could very well find their way under center for much of the season. As a result, it will be worth keeping tabs on Minnesota to see what it does to address its quarterback position over the next few months.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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