ESPN Says Vikings Consider 2 QBs
The key to improving from their disappointing 2025 season remains upgrading the quarterback room. Several quarterbacks have been linked to the Minnesota Vikings, who currently have only J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer under contract for the 2026 campaign, but it’s anyone’s guess which options they want to target.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shed some light on the situation.
Graziano wrote, “The Vikings are not ready to give up on J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick who missed his rookie season because of a knee injury and struggled mightily through an injury-riddled second season in 2025. But they also aren’t ready to hand McCarthy the keys for 2026.”
McCarthy, drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2024, has struggled to stay healthy and his on-field production has been inconsistent at best. Still, moving on from a once-called franchise quarterback after only ten games is unusual.
A more realistic path would be strengthening the quarterback room around him to provide competition and insurance against further injuries or inconsistency.
Graziano noted, “The odd quarterback landscape of this offseason makes it difficult to predict where the Vikings land, but if and when someone such as Geno Smith or Kyler Murray gets cut, I could see Minnesota pursuing that kind of passer on a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal.”
Both Smith and Murray are under contract for the 2026 season, but neither appears to be the future of their franchise. The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to select Fernando Mendoza with the 1st overall pick next month and the Arizona Cardinals avoided committing to Murray. A release is on the table for both veterans.
“Bringing in a veteran quarterback who has had some success in the league,” Graziano explained, “could be what the Vikings need to get McCarthy’s attention. It would remind him about the parts of his game he still needs to work on and get him back on track to where Minnesota can hopefully harness his talent and build him into the franchise QB it thought he was when it drafted him.”
He then pointed to “older quarterbacks” Joe Flacco, Kirk Cousins, and Aaron Rodgers, if they can’t land “that type of quarterback.”
Then Fowler chimed in, noting, “I’ve also heard that the Vikings are considering Murray and Smith as they outline their veteran quarterback plan. Tua Tagovailoa and Cousins are also on their radar. Some I’ve talked to are breaking those four into two tiers, with Murray and Smith in the first group.”
While they are far from the only options, the report positions Murray and Smith among the more realistic veteran paths for Minnesota.
Smith was a journeyman backup for half his career, bouncing around and hoping for the right opportunity. That eventually came in Seattle in 2022 when he revived his career by throwing for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. The former Jets pick quarterbacked the Seahawks for three seasons before being traded to Las Vegas.
With the Raiders, Smith didn’t have the surroundings he needed. The offense lacked firepower at receiver and the offensive line couldn’t block. It remains to be seen if he lost a step or if the offense was broken outside of him.
Murray, once a 1st overall pick, had a promising first three seasons in the NFL, but never made the next step from Pro Bowler to superstar. Injuries then derailed his career, as he has only played more than 11 games once over the last four years. Still, when healthy, Murray is arguably the most skilled signal-caller on the market. He just scored 26 touchdowns in 2024.
Ultimately, ESPN’s reporting reinforces the growing league-wide belief that the Vikings are not planning a full reset at quarterback, but rather a strategic addition. Bringing in an experienced veteran such as Murray or Smith would allow Minnesota to maintain its long-term investment in McCarthy while raising the floor of the position in the short term.
With head coach Kevin O’Connell under pressure to win now and the roster otherwise competitive, a veteran bridge or challenger appears far more likely than handing the job to an unproven starter without competition. The coming weeks, especially around free agency and potential releases, could define the direction of Minnesota’s quarterback room.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.