J.J. McCarthy's abysmal play through six starts has generated a crisis in Minnesota so severe that it's not out of the realm of possibilities that the Vikings' focus in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft will be on quarterbacks.
The Vikings thought they found their franchise quarterback when they traded up to take McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 draft. While it's still too soon to punt on McCarthy, he's been so bad that it's possible that the Vikings find themselves in a situation similar to what the Arizona Cardinals were in after taking Josh Rosen 10th overall in the 2018 draft.
As a rookie, Rosen went 3-10 as a starter, completing 55.2% of his passes for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He was sacked 45 times and produced a passer rating of 66.7 and a QBR of 24.1.
Arizona had sufficient evidence to move on from Rosen, and they selected Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, and then traded Rosen to the Dolphins for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick.
McCarthy is 2-4 as a starter. He's completed 54.1% of his passes for 929 yards, six touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He's been sacked 21 times while posting a passer rating of 57.9 and a QBR of 24.8. His numbers are terrifyingly similar to Rosen's from 2018, though McCarthy is being intercepted at a more alarming rate.
**Player**
**Games**
**Cmp%**
**Yards**
**TD**
**INT**
**Sacks**
**Rate**
**QBR**
Rosen
14
55.2
2,278
11
14
45
66.7
24.1
McCarthy
6
54.1
929
6
10
21
57.9
24.8
Rosen was 21 years old as a rookie starter in 2018. McCarthy is 22, having missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. In college, McCarthy attempted 713 passes in 40 games at Michigan, while Rosen played in only 30 games at UCLA, attempting 1,170 passes.
And it would be malpractice to ignore the fact that McCarthy inherited a 14-win team that rebuilt its offensive line to protect him, while surrounding him with playmakers like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones. Rosen inherited an offense that featured 35-year-old Larry Fitzgerald and former Pro Bowl running back David Johnson, who was returning from a torn ACL.
Minnesota, at 4-7, is on track for double-digit losses. Based on how they played at Green Bay, they might not win another game. They still have to play Seattle (8-3), Washington (3-8), Dallas (5-5-1), the Giants (2-10), Detroit (7-4), and Green Bay (7-3-1). The worst of the bunch is New York, but they're feisty and will be playing at home against Minnesota.
If the Vikings finish 4-13, 5-12, or even 6-11, they'll certainly have a top 10 or top 15 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The question is whether they'll have a chance to pick a quarterback worthy of a first-round selection before other QB-needy teams do.
The Jets, Raiders, Cardinals, Saints, Browns, and Dolphins might join the Vikings as teams interested in taking a quarterback in the first round. That begs the question: How many first-round quarterbacks will there be?
Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Dante Moore (Oregon), Ty Simpson (Alabama), and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) seem to be getting the most hype as possible first-rounders next April. Others who could rise between now and the draft are Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Arch Manning (Texas), and Sawyer Robertson (Baylor).
If the Vikings aren't in a position to draft a quarterback in the first round, they might have to consider a veteran option. Murray might look really good in purple and gold if Arizona trades him, though he has a hefty contract — cap hits in 2026, 2027, and 2028 of $53.2 million, $43.5 million, and $46.3 million, respectively — and it might take valuable draft capital to get him.
That brings us to Mac Jones, who impressed in eight games with the 49ers before Brock Purdy returned from injury. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio [reported](https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/news/is-minnesota-headed-for-a-real-qb-competition-insider-fuels-the-possibility) last week that there's "already chatter in some circles that, in the 2026 offseason, the Vikings will explore trading for 49ers quarterback Mac Jones."
None of this is good. But none of it will become reality if McCarthy turns things around over the final six games of the regular season.
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