Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy could face competition heading into next season, and a familiar face may be the one pushing him for the starting job: Kirk Cousins.
SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora spoke with NFL executives from around the league who believe there is a very good chance Cousins signs with the Vikings and could be a viable starting option.
“They can say what they want publicly, but they have some serious questions about McCarthy,” a general manager told La Canfora. “Look, they’re signing somebody else to push him and it’s not just going to be some stiff on a vet-minimum contract.”
Another NFL executive whose team is also searching for a quarterback told La Canfora that if the Vikings sign Cousins, it will be at a significant monetary investment.
“He’s going to get a decent contract,” the unnamed executive said. “Don’t worry about that.”
McCarthy, whom the team selected 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, struggled mightily, completing just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Meanwhile, Cousins entered the 2025 season as a backup to Michael Penix Jr. but took over as the starter in Week 11 after Penix suffered a season-ending knee injury. Cousins finished the season completing 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
With two years remaining on his contract and salary cap hits of $24.6 million in 2026 and $90.4 million in 2027, the Atlanta Falcons are expected to cut Cousins, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The Vikings are in desperate need of turning their offense around. Head coach Kevin O’Connell, regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the league, saw his offense finish 28th in the NFL in total yards, averaging 275 yards per game. The Vikings also finished 26th in points, averaging 20.2 per game.