There might not be a more polarizing player on the Minnesota Vikings roster than J.J. McCarthy. The young quarterback has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in his first two seasons, raising concerns about his ability to be the team's quarterback of the future.
It will be interesting to see how the Vikings approach the quarterback position for the 2026 NFL season. The team could pencil McCarthy in as the starter again, or they could seek a veteran to teach and push the former University of Michigan standout to improve.
Much hangs in the balance of the decision that Minnesota makes this offseason. There isn't a quarterback on the roster to push McCarthy, so that passer would have to come to the purple and gold through a trade or free agency.
Tommy Kramer urges Minnesota Vikings not to give up on J.J. McCarthy
While some fans and analysts might be pounding the table for the Minnesota Vikings to sign a veteran quarterback this offseason, not everybody feels that way. In fact, a former purple and gold quarterback recently shared his thoughts on the situation in a post on X.
"We need to stick with this guy. I’m telling ya all, he has what it takes, just needs reps."
Tommy Kramer is urging the Vikings to "stick with" McCarthy is interesting. His reasoning for the young passer needing experience is justified, but there is also the matter of Minnesota being a nine-win team last season and being in a position where they might be able to be playoff contenders.
Spending 13 seasons with the Vikings, where he started 110 games, definitely adds to his credibility. Although the future is still up in the air for McCarthy, it is still too early to say that he is absolutely not the quarterback that Minnesota needs going forward.
Minnesota still has two seasons left on McCarthy's rookie contract, meaning there isn't a huge rush to put the 23-year-old quarterback back on the field in a starting role. But it does mean that the clock is ticking on being able to get a complete evaluation of his talent before a decision is made about his future.
There will be a lot of well-known names linked to the Vikings this offseason. Guys like Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Derek Carr, and many others have been brought up to possibly come to the team in 2026. However, it is possible that it could be McCarthy under center when the season opener rolls around.