Despite Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and EVP Rob Brzezinski answering a bunch of questions earlier this week while at this year's NFL Scouting Combine, no one is really sure about what the team plans to do at the quarterback position this offseason.
On Friday, during an episode of "NFL Live", ESPN's Adam Schefter was able to provide some insight on what the Vikings will be looking for when attempting to find someone to join J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer in the team's quarterback room this year.
"Minnesota [is looking] to find the right veteran quarterback to bring in to challenge JJ. McCarthy, yet not really threaten him.”
Adam Schefter says Minnesota Vikings looking to add QB who won't "threaten" J.J. McCarthy
What Schefter shared on Friday is pretty intriguing. We already knew that the Vikings wanted to add a veteran quarterback with starting experience to the mix, but now we know that they want someone who isn't going to "threaten" their plans with McCarthy.
With this in mind, it probably means Minnesota won't be doing something like making a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for Mac Jones, since that would pretty much signal that the Vikings are no longer committed to developing McCarthy into the team's long-term plan at quarterback.
Minnesota adding someone like Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, or Jimmy Garoppolo seems to be a better fit for what Schefter shared. These three all have extensive starting experience in the NFL, but no one would expect them to legitimately challenge for the Vikings' starting job.
Carson Wentz also fits into that category, and speaking of Wentz, he's expected to re-sign with Minnesota at some point this year, according to Schefter.
Even if this does end up happening, the ESPN NFL Insider still expects the Vikings to add another experienced veteran to their quarterback room this offseason.
Minnesota invested a lot into McCarthy when they traded up to select him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Moving on from him after just two years would feel like the Vikings are rushing.
So, the new quarterback that Minnesota adds this offseason probably won't generate massive headlines, but it will be someone that allows the team to remain committed to McCarthy as the organization's future at the position.