The Vikings’ QB Options Continue to Dwindle as More Passers Get Taken Away
Lately, there’s been some nerves in Minnesota about the Vikings’ QB options. Or, rather, the lack thereof.
Free agency is less than a week old and already a ton of passers have been scooped up. No doubt, there are some options who remain, but each new signing means that the QB market dwindles a little bit more. Where does Minnesota go from here?
The Vikings’ QB Options & The Dwindling FA Passers
The latest news involves Cooper Rush, a long-time backup who has nevertheless gotten involved in plenty of games.
Consider the update from The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero: “The #Ravens and QB Cooper Rush have agreed to a two-year contract worth up to $12.2 million, per me and @RapSheet. Deal negotiated by @EquitySports CEO Chris Cabott. After eight years in Dallas — and a 9-5 record as starter — Rush now will back up Lamar Jackson.”
Keep in mind, as well, that the Falcons really did hold onto Kirk Cousins. Again, Pelissero’s update: “#Falcons GM Terry Fontenot has said repeatedly that the team planned to proceed with Kirk Cousins on the roster. That stance hasn’t changed. Cousins would need to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate any trade, and to this point Atlanta has shown no motivation to move him.”
In theory, Cousins getting released could have led to a scenario where he returned to Minnesota to compete for the top spot, but that’s not going to happen.
The ideal scenario involves J.J. McCarthy not only continuing his upward trajectory with his injury recovery but also prove to be a strong starter in 2025. Expecting someone on the same level as Jayden Daniels seems very unlikely, but could he be above average? If so, the roster is strong enough to compete in the NFC.
Don’t forget that Minnesota moved into free agency with perhaps the league’s deepest quarterback room. All of Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, Daniel Jones, Nick Mullens, and Brett Rypien were in the building. Now, only McCarthy and Rypien remain.
Of course, the team could do something unexpected like draft a passer in the 2025 NFL Draft. Or, perhaps, there will be a willingness to wait until after the draft to see about making a trade. After all, the Vikings onboarded Mullens just before the 2022 season began since the Raiders were willing to move the veteran. Could something similar occur?
Another player who comes to mind is Jaren Hall. The young passer was drafted by Minnesota in the 5th Round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the kind of draft placement that suggest Minnesota’s decision makers were hoping for a long-term backup.
Instead, they moved on going into the 2024 season in favor of Rypien. Hall is a good leader, mature, and was on a cost-controlled rookie deal. Any regret about letting him get away?
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell deserve some faith with how they’ll manage the position. Somehow, O’Connell got clutch out of Cousins. He then turned Darnold’s career around. Josh Dobbs shined for a time, as well. If anyone inspires quarterback optimism, it’s O’Connell.
Still, things look a bit dicey at the moment.
Passers who have been connected to the Vikings include Drew Lock, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston, and Aaron Rodgers. The possibility even exists that Rypien will ascend to being the Vikings’ QB2 for the 2025 season.
J.J. McCarthy is 22 and coming off of a major injury. He hasn’t thrown a pass in the NFL apart from part of a preseason game.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
