The Minnesota Vikings appear to have grown impatient with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and the organization is now quietly looking for ways to move on from him.
McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, missed his entire rookie season with a torn right meniscus before stepping into the starting role in 2025.
Minnesota fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January. The executive who drafted McCarthy is no longer in the building.
A source told NFL insider Tony Pauline the team is “really down on quarterback J.J. McCarthy and is ready to move on from their 2024 first-round pick.”
At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week, Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski addressed the quarterback room directly.
The Minnesota #Vikings are “quietly exploring” an exit strategy for JJ McCarthy, per @TonyPauline.
“A source tells me the team is really down on quarterback J.J. McCarthy and is ready to move on from their 2024 first-round pick. The team will bring in another signal caller to… pic.twitter.com/i65HPwW8ni
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) February 28, 2026
“I don’t think we’re ruling anything out,” Brzezinski told local media.
“What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective,” he added, describing the team’s approach as “casting a wide net.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell also declined to commit to McCarthy as the 2026 starter. His comments reflected a changed mindset within the organization.
“A lot of those feelings are still the same. It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024],” O’Connell said at the combine, via ESPN.
McCarthy went 6-4 as the starter in 2025, completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
A high ankle sprain, concussion, and multiple hand injuries pulled him off the field throughout the year.
Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) walks off the field after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) walks off the field after the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Vikings coaching staff and front office face their own pressure heading into 2026
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Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on during warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Kevin O’Connell is also under scrutiny. The fifth-year head coach is widely believed to need a playoff berth in 2026 to keep his job, and that urgency directly shapes how the team handles the quarterback room.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on the Vikings’ YouTube channel the team intends to target veterans released by their teams.
“One of those QBs that’s got guaranteed money, that the Vikings can pay the minimum, if and when he’s released, and they would probably have dibs on those guys because everyone wants to play quarterback in Minnesota,” Pelissero said.
McCarthy could be traded if Minnesota landed a quarterback who made his future there effectively unnecessary.
Names that have surfaced in connection with the Vikings include Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and Geno Smith.
Sam Darnold winning a Super Bowl sharpens focus on the decision Minnesota made last year
Seattle Seahawks Kenneth Walker
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Last March, Minnesota chose not to bring back veteran quarterback Sam Darnold. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks and led them to a Super Bowl championship.
The Vikings finished 9-8 in 2025 and missed the playoffs, a steep drop from 14 wins the previous season when Darnold was the starter.
Bo Nix, selected two picks after McCarthy in the 2024 draft, led the Denver Broncos to the AFC Championship Game in 2025. That comparison does not help McCarthy’s situation.
McCarthy remains under contract through the 2027 season. Minnesota holds a fifth-year option for 2028 and would not receive significant cap relief from trading him.
Any departure would signal a complete organizational pivot away from a player the franchise once considered its future at the most important position in the sport.
The next few weeks will be revealing. Free agency opens soon, and the quarterback market is already moving. Minnesota has made clear it is not standing still. At 23, McCarthy still has years ahead of him, but the Vikings look set on not watching another season drift by on potential alone.