The Minnesota Vikings’ plan looked great on paper. The Washington Commanders had already executed it to perfection just a year ago. But, so far, trying to develop a young quarterback while simultaneously pushing for a deep playoff run has proved challenging, and it’s quite possible the Vikings bit off more than they could chew.
In 2024, the Vikings used the 10th-overall pick on quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Then, after going 14-3 during what ended up being his redshirt season, they spent nearly $300 million in free agency – second most in the NFL – for a chance to run it back. Two major investments that seemed to contradict each other were combined into a single, complex plan. Now at 4-5 with a playoff berth slipping away, and McCarthy still experiencing some growing pains, Minnesota’s intrepid plan seems a bit foolhardy.
Just four games into his NFL career, McCarthy is already one of the most scrutinized quarterbacks in the league. At 22, he’s one of the youngest starters in the NFL, so mistakes were to be expected. He’s made several highlight-reel plays, but he’s also responsible for some throws that soared so far over Justin Jefferson’s head they’re still orbiting Jupiter. Throughout the highs and lows, McCarthy faced a unique challenge that other young signal-callers like Cam Ward or Dillon Gabriel haven’t: The Vikings are ready to win now, whether he’s ready or not.
In the offseason, the Vikings signed free agents Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, and Isaiah Rodgers. It was a big step towards fixing the areas of the roster that fell flat a year prior. With the savings from letting Sam Darnold walk and the leftover Kohl’s cash at the bottom of Kirk Cousins’ old locker, Minnesota went out and bought a very talented, and very expensive roster. While full of playmakers, the Vikings have the seventh-oldest roster in the league, and three of those five big-name acquisitions are over the age of 30. These were definitely not the moves of a team signaling a rebuild, despite trotting out a quarterback who had never taken an NFL snap.
It’s definitely an unusual situation to be in, as highly-drafted quarterbacks typically go to teams with a lot of work to do before they’re ready to start chasing rings. While every team faces pressure to win, rookie quarterbacks are generally given some leeway due to their less-than-ideal circumstances. But Minnesota does things differently from many teams, and the Vikings’ ownership wants to compete every year regardless of external factors. So, the idea to pair a young quarterback with a seasoned roster wasn’t unusual; it was another day at the office.
When general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah joined the Vikings in 2022, he talked about utilizing a “competitive rebuild.” At the time, he described it as living in two worlds simultaneously.
“The way we look at it is, we’re trying to navigate both worlds,” said Adofo-Mensah. “We’re trying to live in today and tomorrow, or the competitive rebuild, however you want to phrase it or market it. And so I think that’s kind of how we’ve approached this offseason and our time horizons going forward.”
He’s certainly stayed true to this mantra over the past three years, despite the frustration that it can cause. While rebuilds are never fun in the moment, and mortgaging your future for an all-out push has its risks, at least both methods have a clear direction. When Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead famously traded away seven straight years of first-round picks, it culminated in a Super Bowl victory. The fact is that Adofo-Mensah has been trying to thread a needle for years, with one eye looking straight and the other looking ahead, and it may have finally caught up to him.
Despite his mediocre stats and a 2-2 record, McCarthy has shown plenty of promise. And if he were doing what he’s done this year for a team like the Tennessee Titans or Cleveland Browns, he’d probably be hailed as the next Josh Allen. But unfortunately, a few splash plays a game hasn’t been enough to power the Vikings to a playoff-caliber team like they believed they were back in August. McCarthy is improving every week, but the Vikings simply don’t have the time to wait anymore.
Surely all of the blame doesn’t fall on McCarthy’s shoulders, but it’s easy to point the finger at the inexperienced quarterback. Minnesota has made major free-agent investments across the board, and not making the playoffs in 2025 can’t be anything but a disappointment. The Vikings tried to have their cake and eat it too, but they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.