If you include the two-day legal tampering period, which began March 10, NFL free agency has been open for over a month, now. It\u2019s hard to believe, but the 2025 NFL Draft \u2014 where the Minnesota Vikings hold the No. 24 overall pick \u2014 is less than two weeks away.<\/p>\n
While the Vikings were much busier during the early stages of free agency<\/a>, than they will be during the draft, there is still one glaring spot on Minnesota\u2019s depth chart that cannot be filled through the draft, and that is a veteran QB to pair with JJ McCarthy in 2025.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Knowing how quickly QB1s and QB2s fly off the board in free agency, it felt like quarterback would be one of the first signings of the Vikings\u2019 2025 class. But that\u2019s not the way reality has played out, thanks to the Aaron Rodgers waiting game (which is still ongoing), along with a bloated number of available veteran quarterbacks.<\/p>\n Related Headlines<\/p>\n Another veteran QB \u2014 Joe Flacco \u2014 falls off the free agent board<\/p>\n That was before Friday morning, when possibly the best QB2 on the market from the very beginning, 40-year-old<\/a> Joe Flacco, signed with former Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns. Flacco \u2014 who won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in Cleveland, under Stefanski, in 2023<\/a> \u2014 chose the Browns over the Vikings and Steelers, per Adam Schefter.<\/p>\n So, here we sit on April 11, with the draft inching closer, and the Minnesota Vikings still need a veteran QB to pair with JJ McCarthy. Weren\u2019t we led to believe that free agent quarterbacks would flock to Eagan, upon invitation, just so they could work for the the second-highest rated employer in the NFL, while having KOC whisper sweet QB nothings in their ear?<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n But Flacco isn\u2019t the first veteran QB this offseason to give the Vikings and their head coach the cold shoulder\u2026 so what gives? Well, at this point, it has become very clear that those leading the MN Vikings organization are extremely comfortable with where JJ McCarthy is in his development, something that these veterans are picking up on too.<\/p>\n Veteran NFL quarterbacks afraid of MN Vikings QB competition vs JJ McCarthy?<\/p>\n Last month, Sam Darnold signed with Seattle<\/a> \u2014 not because he wanted to leave Minnesota \u2014 but because neither the money nor the role being offered by the Vikings were comparable to that of the Seahawks.<\/p>\n Then, there\u2019s Aaron Rodgers, who is still making the Steelers wait, while he holds out hope<\/a> that the Vikings will change their minds. Right now, that seems like a pipedream<\/a>. And don\u2019t forget about Daniel Jones.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Related: Sportsbooks Not Buying the Draft Plans Vikings are Selling\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Minnesota Vikings signed<\/a> the 2019 No. 6 overall pick<\/a> toward the end of 2024, after the New York Giants cut him loose. Most thought he would be the guy to push JJ McCarthy during 2025 Vikings training camp.<\/p>\n Instead, Jones landed in Indianapolis<\/a>. Why? Because beating out Anthony Richardson for the Colts\u2019 QB1 job felt more plausible than doing the same in Minnesota, vs McCarthy. See a pattern here?<\/p>\n While the Minnesota Vikings have not yet told McCarthy that he is their starter in 2025, they have leaked as much to media<\/a>. And behind the scenes, there\u2019s clearly something scaring these higher-end veteran quarterbacks away. That\u2019s because, if given the option, these guys want to play. And in Minnesota, that must appear far-fetched.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n So much so, that they leave their meetings with the Vikings thinking they don\u2019t stand much of a chance at all, of winning a QB competition vs McCarthy during offseason workouts and in training camp. Either (a) JJ is already too good and\/or (b) any preseason dual is likely to be rigged in his favor.<\/p>\n Who is left on the QB market for the Minnesota Vikings?<\/p>\n No doubt, the Minnesota Vikings are running out of veteran backup QB options for 2025. Right now, JJ McCarthy and Brett Rypien are the only to quarterbacks under contract. So, who\u2019s left on the board? When it comes to free agency, the \u201chigh end\u201d backup options are pretty much down to Ryan Tannehill, who has been linked<\/a> to Minnesota for weeks.<\/p>\n