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The speculation regarding the Minnesota Vikings’ QB position continues to run wild, linking the franchise to veteran signal-callers like Kirk Cousins and even Derek Carr, who is considering unretiring for the right team and situation.
After a 14-win 2024 season, the Vikings took a step back during the 2025 campaign, finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs. The decision to let Sam Darnold walk in free agency and hand the reins to J.J. McCarthy ultimately did not pay off.
McCarthy did have moments when he flashed his potential, but injuries and inconsistent performances made Season 1 as the starter a challenge. As a result, speculation is emerging that Minnesota will pursue a QB, but it remains to be seen what type of player they’ll pursue.
Nonetheless, Vikings legend John Randle is warning the team to steer clear of Carr and Cousins.
“I’m not a big fan of Derek Carr,” Randle said on the Feb. 14 edition of Purple Daily. “I’m sorry. He retired, or he was saying he wanted to come back, then he retired on the guys. It’s like Kirk Cousins talking about Kirk Cousins coming back. I’m like, dude, we’ve been down that road. We want to move on from you.
“You’re trying to say the right things, but you’re not bringing the right thing. You haven’t won, what, maybe one playoff game? I’m like, I want more. If it’s finding a quarterback, maybe he’s not that great of a quarterback, but a guy who can manage an offense. But we want somebody who can do that.”
Minnesota Does Make Sense for Derek Carr
Recently, NFL.com’s Nick Shook wrote that the Vikings are an ideal landing spot for the former Las Vegas Raiders QB should he decide to unretire for the 2026 NFL season.
“If Carr is interested in manning a backup role that could include a camp competition for the starting job, he’ll find that in Minnesota,” Shook wrote in his article published on Feb. 11. “J.J. McCarthy didn’t cement his role as the Vikings’ franchise quarterback in his first season as their starter and has plenty of work ahead of him this offseason.
“Minnesota might not exercise as much patience in 2026, either, not after they watched their playoff hopes evaporate this past season because of unreliability under center.”
Moreover, Carr has stated that, for the right decision, he’ll unretire after not playing in the 2025 season.
“Moral of the story, would I come back? The answer, obviously, is yes, but I had to say no a couple of times so far,” Carr said in a Feb. 12 video from Home Grown with David & Derek Carr. “… So would I do it? Absolutely, I would do it. I told you two things: I’d have to be healthy, and I would want a chance to win a Super Bowl.”
Insider Latest on Kirk Cousins Amid Vikings Speculation
As for Cousins, the latest on the former Vikings QB is that he’s expected to be released. However, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that his team with the Atlanta Falcons might not be over.
“A big challenge, which is why a guy like Kirk Cousins has to like his potential possibility of being a free agent,” Garafolo said on the Feb. 13 edition of “The Insiders.” “And that’s what happened when these sides readjusted his contract.
“It helped the Atlanta Falcons with salary cap space and also gave Cousins the knowledge that he would be free no later than the third day of the league year in March, and every other team knows that as well. Now I’ve said it, and I’ll continue to say it: I don’t rule out the possibility of Cousins returning to Atlanta.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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